STAFF and customers of a builder’s merchant helped to raise tens of thousands of pounds in a charity bike ride.

A team of staff and customers at Jewson Builders Merchant, Manningtree, helped to raised more than £30,000 for their charity partner Barnardo’s by cycling 2,500 miles in the Tour de Jewson which ends in John O’Groats.

The journey was completed by eight other teams and started from seven separate locations on September 10.

The teams met up at Jewson’s head office in Binley, near Coventry, before taking a single route to John O’Groats where they arrived on September 22.

Paul Edwards, director of sales at Jewson, said: “We are delighted with its success.

“Raising over £30,000 for such a great cause is an incredible achievement and is all thanks to the hard work of everyone involved.”