A father-of-two took on an epic 100-mile bike ride to raise money for charity in memory of his mother.

Peter Roycroft, from Amersham, tackled the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 last weekend in a bid to raise £999 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Mr Roycroft, a father of two teenage girls, decided to take on the challenge in memory of his mum, Jean Roycroft, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. 

She sadly died on Mr Roycroft’s birthday in September 2013.

He said: “Over the last couple of years of my mother’s life my brothers and sisters and their families saw our very active, fun loving mother slowly slip in to what we saw as a dark abyss from which there was basically no return.

“There is at present no cure for this terrible condition, but I really feel that there is hope that in the not too distant future, some if not all the symptoms of dementia will be treatable. 

“Progress is being made, which gives us hope if not for ourselves, then for future generations.”

Just five days after his mother’s death, Mr Roycroft took part on a 50km walk along the River Thames.

He added: “It gave me a sense of achievement and the feeling that I was doing something practical to help in the fight against this cruel disease. 

“Since then I have undertaken other fundraising efforts which many people have generously supported.”

Mr Roycroft smashed his £999 target, raising more than £1,200 for the charity.

Tim Waters, Alzheimer’s Society community fundraiser for Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire welcomed Mr Roycroft’s decision to help the charity. 

He said: “It’s great that Peter is uniting against dementia and giving his time to support Alzheimer’s Society.

“Dementia can happen to anyone and there is currently no cure. But with the right support, people can live well with dementia.

“As a charity, we rely on the generosity of individuals like Peter to help us continue our vital work so that Alzheimer’s Society can continue leading the fight against dementia.”

To donate to Mr Roycroft’s cause, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/peter-roycroft2.