A group of ten are raising money and awareness of pancreatic cancer after one of their brothers died within a month of being diagnosed.

James Brennan, his brothers Lee and Simon and friends are cycling from London to Paris in memory of 36 year-old Tony Brennan. Lee is travelling from Canada especially to take part.

Mr Brennan said: “When my brother died it was a big shock. He went downhill so fast. Around 97 per cent of people die within a year of diagnosis. It is a very aggressive form of cancer and we wanted to help raise funds for research into this particular type.”

The 300 mile bike ride will take place over three days as part of a mass charity biking event organised by Do It for Charity.

Mr Brennan, 33, of Haddenham, said: “I’m not really a cyclist, I haven’t been on a bike for ten years, so am out training three times a week to get up to scratch ready for the event in June.

“We all wanted to do something positive in memory of Tony.”

The team hope their fund raising efforts can help fund research into finding an early diagnosis and treatment for pancreatic cancer.

The charity bike ride is on June 11.

One person dies every hour from the disease and 8,800 people are diagnosed each year in the UK, according to figures from Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Only four per cent of patients survive more than five years and sadly these statistics have hardly changed in forty years.

“Pancreatic cancer is a complex and hard cancer to diagnose and to treat. Currently there are no suitable markers or simple tests to support screening and early diagnosis of the disease, and very few effective drug treatments,” Mr Brennan said.

Fund raising links for the cycling team are: doitforcharity.com/JamesBrennan81, justgiving.com/Lee-Brennan3, doitforcharity.com/AHALLWORTH, doitforcharity.com/AnitaWilson and doitforcharity.com/AllanC.