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Danny Elliott, along with Shaun Cox and Ryan Piper, all aged 23, are riding along the length of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal and back to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society after Danny's mother Julie was diagnosed with the condition a few years ago.

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They have already raised almost £600 towards their £2,000 target with donations from workmates still to come in.

Danny, of Summerfield Road, said: "Cycling has been a hobby up to now and we have never done anything like this before. We are training hard at the moment and are cycling every day, but it is hurting quite a lot."

The trio, who have been friends since they were pupils at Pudsey Grangefield School, will leave Leeds on September 12 and ride the full 127 miles to Liverpool in one day. They will then complete the return journey in two days, camping out overnight.

"My mum is really pleased we are doing this, and I am going to take a lot of photographs of the ride to show her."

Mrs Elliott used to own a sweet shop in Pudsey but had to give up the business.

Danny said: "Her balance was affected first and a scan revealed she had MS. She now takes different tablets, but each day is different for her.

"One day she is OK and then the next quite bad, but she has deteriorated quite a lot in the past three years. My dad David looks after her and on a good day she can manage to get around with a walking stick."

* Anyone who wants to sponsor Danny and his friends should visit: www.justgiving.com/dannyelliott

•MS is a condition of the central nervous system and is the most common neurological disease among young adults. The MS Society is the largest charity for people affected by MS - about 85,000 in the UK. Its cause is not known and the society spends around £2m each year on research. The free MS helpline number is 0808 800 8000.