A HUNTINGDON man who nearly lost his leg during a road collision 15 years ago is preparing to cycle 100km in honour of the charity who helped save him.

Father of two David Bocking was riding his motorbike between the A141 and Woodhurst in 1996 when he was sent flying into a ditch by a speeding car. The former car salesman came round to find his leg was completely crushed.

Thanks to the quick work of emergency medical charity Magpas who rushed him to hospital and a team of surgeons, he managed to keep his leg.

David was confined for 10 months to a wheelchair and spent three years on crutches while he underwent a series of operations to rebuild his hip and knee.

Today his mobility is restricted, as he has lost two and a half inches of bone from his leg, but the 38-year-old teacher is determined to get in the saddle to raise money for Magpas.

He will be joining wife Louise, 29 and friend Barry Stratford for the final 100km of their 600km ride from his Stukeley Meadows home to Edinburgh Castle.

David, who returned to motorcycling 10 years after the crash, said: “I’ve wanted to do something for Magpas for years and now that time has come.”

Louise, who met her husband in 2002, came up with the idea of the cycle ride. She said: “I thought we have got to do something and we need to do something that people are going to react to.

“When Barry came round at Christmas, I suggested we should cycle from Bockingham Palace, our home, to the Eiffel Tower. I made Barry sign an agreement. We looked into the mileage and how much it would cost, and so we decided to go to Edinburgh instead.”

Barry and Louise will be setting off for the four-day ride in October and aim to raise �10,000 for Magpas. The pair will be travelling to Peterborough, Lincoln and York, where they hope to meet with another Magpas survivor.

David will then join them so all three can cross the finish line at Edinburgh Castle. Hopes are as well that the couple’s five year old twin daughters Lauren and Olivia will be able to take part.

Louise said: “They love cycling and they are really confident on their bikes, so it would be nice for them to cycle with us.”

INFORMATION: To sponsor the trio go to www.justgiving.com/teams/magpasride