A HERCULEAN task lies ahead for a former Warminster teacher who is attempting to cycle Land's End to John O'Groats in just five days.

Mike Thompson, who used to be the head of English at Warminster School and taught there for 30 years, will take on the monster 874-mile challenge on October 17 in an effort to raise £5,000 for charity.

The 58-year-old, who is raising funds for The Lewis Moody Foundation and The Brain Tumour Charity, has extra motivation to complete the daunting task as he is doing it in memory of his friend and former colleague Dave Syrett, who died in July from a brain tumour.

"I am a little bit nervous and the butterflies are definitely growing the closer I get to the ride but I am hugely motivated to do the best I can in memory of Dave," said Mr Thompson.

"I have been training hard and putting in the miles but the back-to-back days will be a real challenge. It will be tough certainly but I am ready and looking forward to it."

Mr Thompson, who now lives in Claverton Down, Bath, since he retired from the school in 2014, met Mr Syrett after he retired from a successful career as a striker for Swindon Town, Mansfield Town, Peterborough United and Northampton Town over 30 years ago. He then went onto join Mr Thompson at the school as a football coach and then later became the head groundsman, before moving on to Chafyn Grove School in Salisbury.

"Dave was an exceptional and inspiring man who was loved by everyone, so my challenge had to be big enough to match his stature," he said.

"During his illness his thoughts were never for himself but always for his family, his fellow cancer patients and his carers.

"It was a privilege spending time with Dave during his illness. He had such a positive frame of mind and I remember him saying to me, “We have just got to do the best we can and if telling my story helps someone else then that is fine.”

"Those words were the inspiration for My Big Ride For Dave."

Mr Thompson plans on doing more fundraising events for his friend in the future.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/mybigridefordave