A north Norfolk cycling trio has successfully completed a 260-mile trip from Aberystwyth, in Wales, to Sheringham.

The three: Sheringham police officer Ian Smith, 36, Richard Mercer, 35, from North Walsham, and Karl Simms, 36, from Sheringham, managed the incident-packed feat in just under 24 hours and have raised �2,000 to share between the charities Help for Heroes and the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

'The challenge was as big as it sounds,' said PC Smith. 'We all had to dig deep both physically and mentally to get home. Between the 60 miles and 90 miles we suffered five punctures, a broken wheel and had a small crash at a roundabout.

'All these incidents put us about three hours behind. We had to have smaller breaks throughout the night to make this time back. With only 30 minutes sleep, the stage from Loughborough to Bourne was tough going.

The trio ended their ride outside Sheringham's Lobster pub and then toasted their feat with friends and family.