Police dogs that put their lives on the line are the reason behind two cops’ mission to raise as much money as possible to give their canine colleagues a happy retirement.
Durham Constabulary police officers Mike ‘Spike’ Fisher and Nick Prest, who have both appeared in the Channel 5 hit show Police Interceptors, will take on a 113 mile Coast to Coast cycle ride tomorrow, (April 10).
They will complete the mammoth journey in a day, all in aid of PawsUp, a retired police dogs benevolent fund, and are inviting members of the public to join them on the last leg of the tour.
The PCs will set off from Morecambe at 8.30am and head through Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor, Fishburn and Wynyard before finishing on the coastline at Station Lane, Seaton Carew at around 7pm.
PC Fisher, a self-professed “fat lad built for comfort” and PC Prest, who are both amateur cyclists, said the challenge will be a “massive effort” but that their eyes remain on one goal – to raise funds for retired police dogs.
Speaking of his inspiration behind the feat, PC Fisher said: “Every day, police dogs across the country put their lives on the line for us; it’s time for us to show what we will do for them.
“They are heroes in their own right; supporting our communities and helping us catch criminals or sniff out thousands of pounds worth of drugs.
“It’s going to be tough but we will dig deep and power through. Once our legs have given up, we’ll finish the cycle ride with our heart.”
Dog handler Ian Squire, the founder of PawsUp and colleague of the two cyclists, will be driving a support van to aid the pair on their journey. He said: “The money raised will go towards caring for retired dogs, giving owners a helping hand with vets bills and such like. It is a kind of pension pot for them really, assisting with the day to day costs of looking after the animals after they put their ‘paws up.’
“The lads, who are not only colleagues, but friends, see first-hand the benefit of the dogs and what they bring to the policing role. It is a fantastic gesture and I am proud of their efforts.”
Budding bikers are invited to join the pair on the last 6 miles of the challenge and can meet them at the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit at 1 Chapel Lane North, Wynyard (TS22 5TH). An estimated time of arrival is 5pm but the public are asked to follow live updates on social media.
Children are also invited to join and can do so about half a mile from the finish. Meet at the Ford Garage, adjacent to the roundabout at the junction of Brenda Road (B1277) and Seaton Lane, where there will be safety measures in place.
Facebook Live updates will be posted en route to keep track of the PCs’ progress. Please follow the PawsUp Bob page.
Anyone wishing to support the challenge can make a donation via PayPal on the donate page of the PawsUp website – pawsup.org.uk/donate