Clitheroe charity cyclist seriously hurt in smash

Former Ribblesdale High School pupil Lee (42), of Millthorne Avenue, Clitheroe, was cycling along Whalley Road, Billington, when he was in collision with a Ford Fiesta car at around 9-25 pm.

Paramedics and the police were called and he was rushed to the Royal Preston Hospital with serious head injuries.

Whalley Road was subsequently closed for several hours, finally reopening again at 12-40 am.

Lee had been aiming to cycle the 960-mile trek from Land’s End to John O’ Groats in just three days in aid of the Meningitis Trust.

The normal time for the ride is nine days, but Lee – who walks and jogs the equivalent of a marathon a day while emptying bins in rural Ribble Valley – wanted to complete it in just three by cycling 18 hours a day.

Lee has worked at Ribble Valley Borough Council for 10 years and collects refuse in West Bradford, Chatburn, Rimington and Clitheroe.

No newcomer to charity endeavours, Lee has already raised funds for Help the Heroes and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Through his Lands End to John O’Groats cycle challenge he had hoped to raise cash for the Meningitis Trust in memory of his nephew, Clark, who died of the disease aged 13 months.

Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident are continuing.

John Heap, Ribble Valley Borough Council’s director of community services, said: “Our thoughts are with Lee and his family, and his colleagues hope he makes a swift and full recovery.”