Andi Darbey and her friends surpassed their fundraising target by more than £1,000 after bike ride around London

Midweek Herald: Andi Darbey is doing a charity bike ride. Ref mhh 17 19TI 3198. Picture: Terry IfeAndi Darbey is doing a charity bike ride. Ref mhh 17 19TI 3198. Picture: Terry Ife (Image: Archant)

A Whimple woman and a group of her friends have raised almost £3,800 towards cancer research, by cycling 100km around the streets of London.

Andi Darbey and her group took part in Women v Cancer Ride The Night on Saturday, May 25.

They had expected to raise around £2,500 but surpassed it by an amazing £1,300 - including £50 that was handed to them by the driver of a car passing the ride. The total amount raised by the event was £550,000, which will go towards research into cancers affecting women.

Police dog handler Andi has beaten breast cancer herself and firmly believes she owes her life to the research that made her treatment possible. She is a keen cyclist who carried out the ride on a tandem.

"The atmosphere was great and at times a bit emotional," she said. "We started around 10.30pm and returned by 4.30am. In the end I think we were the only tandem too! In fact out of the six of us that took part, four signed up for next year straight away."