A GROUP of friends cycled the equivalent of 1,348 miles in less than 24-hours to raise money in memory of a teenage brain haemorrhage victim.

They completed the overnight feat on stationary bikes at Barnard Castle Cricket Club as a tribute to their friend, Darren Mullery, of Barnard Castle, who died in 2008, aged 19.

They carried out the challenge in teams of three, cycling around 150 miles each, on three bikes.

The group, who all come from Barnard Castle, took 19.5 hours to complete the ride, and it marked the sixth anniversary of his death.

The fundraising team was Mr Mullery’s cousin Adam Mullery, Jimmy Raine, Lewis Hammond, Karl Murray, Adam Goodfellow, Mike Dixon, Rob Dixon, Marc Swinbank and Phil Merryweather.

Mr Raine, who organised the event, said: “Darren’s sudden death was a huge shock to us all.

“He was such a genuinely lovely guy and wouldn’t have a bad word said about anybody.

“The challenge was a lot harder than we all thought it was going to be. We had great support from everyone and it really pulled us through.”

A fundraising memorial evening was also held at Barnard Castle Cricket Club which attracted more than 130 people.

About £2,500 was raised to share between the Barnard Castle senior football team and the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) which was a charity chosen by Mr Mullery’s parents.

Mandy Drake, head of fundraising at GNAAS, said: “This sounds like a grueling challenge and we are pleased to hear of its ultimate success.

“We are thankful for their support and they should pride themselves on the legacy they are leaving behind for their friend.”