A former soldier from Melksham has taken part in a 375-mile sponsored bike ride in aid of Help for Heroes.

John Marable, 55, of Thames Crescent, took part in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride from May 24-30, cycling from HMS Victory in Portsmouth through northern France to Dunkirk, where he attended a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the famous Second World War evacuation.

He was part of a 300-strong group of cyclists making the journey.

Along the route the cyclists visited many military battlefields, memorials and cemeteries, including Ypres and Thiepval, an experience which Mr Marable, a former sergeant, described as emotional.

Mr Marable, who served in the Royal Artillery for 22 years, said: “It was great, really fantastic.

“I met some people in more or less the same situation as myself. It was very emotional going through the graveyards.

“Sombre is the word to describe it, it was very touching.”

Over the week-long challenge the riders were in the saddle for up to seven hours a day, but Mr Marable said he coped well with the demands of the route.

“We had some tough undulations to go up and down, but I went at my own pace and my training helped me,” he said.

“I didn’t really have any problems, I had the right food and the right conditions.”

The sponsored ride has raised more than £1 million for the charity, which helps wounded servicemen to recover from their injuries.

Mr Marable is still collecting sponsorship so has no final fundraising total as yet.