A MAN whose nephew was saved by emergency heart surgery is gearing up for a gruelling cycling fundraiser.

Paul Scott, 37, of Osbaldwick, York, plans to cycle coast-to-coast across England, to raise £3,000 for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund.

Paul will be joined by four friends and colleagues on the 200-mile ride from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay. The gruelling challenge will see the men taking a number of off-road routes across the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North York Moors.

Paul said: “We were looking for a challenge and we are all interested in mountain biking.”

Paul’s nephew Cameron, now four, was born with his aortic valve fused shut, and needed keyhole surgery.

He underwent a vital operation at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), but the child heart surgery unit there is now facing closure.

A campaign is being led against the closure, which could leave sick children from across the region having to travel to Newcastle or Liverpool instead of Leeds.

Paul will be joined by Marc Styan, 40, Stephen Edison, 59, Kevin Walker, 54, and Andy Willett, 45. To sponsor the group, visit justgiving.com/coast2coastmtb