Sadiq Khan joins thousands on London to Brighton ride

Sadiq Khan has joined tens of thousands of people on a bike ride from London to Brighton to raise money for research into heart and circulatory diseases.

The London mayor was among 14,000 riders who took on the 54-mile (87km) challenge from Clapham Common to the Sussex coast on Sunday.

Money raised by the ride will go to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Mr Khan said he was "delighted" to make it to Brighton's historic sea front.

He said: "A fantastic crowd gave us riders a much-needed boost for the final push.

"Most importantly, all the money raised from today's ride will go towards lifesaving research, helping to support the 7.6m people around the country living with heart and circulatory disease."

The bike ride, which is in its 45th year, has raised more than £70m for the BHF's research, despite a two-year break during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jason Cooper, the drummer of British rock band The Cure, was riding in memory of his former drum tech, Paul "Ricky" Welton, who died after suffering a heart attack in 2019.

He said: "It was a fabulous day. The atmosphere was amazing, especially the crowds coming into Brighton cheering us on.

"I am proud to be raising money for the BHF in memory of my great friend Ricky.

"He was a fantastic drum technician, and we shared momentous times together. But more importantly, he was a just a lovely guy and we all miss him dearly."

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