AN Okehampton veterinary surgeon is getting on his bike to raise money for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

Phil Davies, from Okeford Veterinary Centre, is setting off on a coast-to-coast sponsored cycle ride this weekend.

Phil will be starting out from Workington on the Cumbrian coast and will ride 180 miles to finish at Tynemouth, near Newcastle. Much of the route will run parallel to Hadrian?s Wall.

Phil said he had been doing quite a bit of cycling in the last few years. Last year on holiday in France he tackled Alpe d?Huez, one of the toughest of the mountain stages in the Tour de France.

He said the notorious alpine climb had ?whetted his appetite? for more cycling challenges.

Preparations for the coast-to-coast ride have included training on Dartmoor, riding across the moor to Tavistock, Princetown and Chagford.

Phil said part of the challenge route included the Reivers Cycle Trail through the Kielder Forest, which would be somewhat similar to Dartmoor terrain.

He said he felt well prepared for the ride and had enjoyed his twice-weekly training rides around Dartmoor. ?It is a fantastic area for cycling; we are really fortunate in this area,? he said.

Phil, who lives in Sticklepath, has worked as a vet in Okehampton for around 20 years.

Each year, a group of vets from across the country take part in a charity cycle ride, and Phil said he was looking forward to joining them for the first time. The team are hoping to complete the whole journey in three days ? averaging around 60 miles a day.

There is a prize on offer for the team member who raised the most money in sponsorship, and he was personally hoping to raise somewhere between £500-£1,000, all of which would go direct to the charity.

Money raised will go to Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, a charity about which Phil said he hoped to find out more by taking part in the event.

He said family, friends and pet owners had all been ?very supportive? with generous offers of sponsorship.

Anyone else who would like to sponsor the cycling vet can find forms at the Okeford surgeries in Okehampton and Chagford.