A PLASTERER is planning to cycle almost 1,000 miles to raise cash for research into an incurable disease that killed his father.

Mark Green’s dad Christopher, 59, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about ten weeks ago and died just nine weeks later on May 25.

The family was left reeling from the shock and now Mr Green, 33, plans to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise awareness of the disease.

Father-of-two Mr Green, of Hanwell Fields, Banbury, said: “Dad was having chest problems and didn’t go to the doctor.

“Eventually mum made him go and he found out he had pancreatic cancer and there was no cure for it.

“He was given six to eight months to live.”

Unfortunately his father had internal bleeding and then deep vein thrombosis and around nine weeks after diagnosis, he died.

Mr Green, who lives with wife Michelle and children Chloe, 11, and Cameron, two, said before his father died, he was moved to a hospice in Worcester where the family kept a bedside vigil.

He said: “He was in a coma state when he got taken in and his body was in shutdown.

“They told us the hearing was the last thing to go, so we were talking to him — every so often he would move his eyebrow to show he heard us.

“It’s the least researched cancer and no cure has been found. There are very few signs to indicate you have it, so it’s too late once you find out.”

Now Mr Green is determined to raise awareness of the disease and hopes to raise at least £6 for every mile he pedals, with a target of £6,000 to fund research.

He will team up with friend Ian McLennan, also from Banbury, for the challenge and the pair hope to complete the 973 miles in less than ten days.

Mr McLennan, who recently completed a 56-mile run in South Africa, plans to raise cash for Adderbury-based Katharine House Hospice.

Mr Green said: “It’s only ten days out of my life and even if I raise awareness to a few people it has done its job.”

Self-employed plasterer and tiler Mr Green has been spurred on to tackle the ride after losing five stone in weight since taking up cycling last year.

He now spends evenings and weekends training and will set off on the ride in early August.

Anyone who wants to sponsor the pair can view justgiving.com/markandian or justgiving.com/2nuttersontheirbikes The pancreas is a large gland which lies behind the stomach, and helps to digest food.

Because the pancreas is positioned deep inside the body, it makes cancer diagnosis difficult.

Symptoms vary depending on the location of the tumour in the pancreas and in the early stages there are usually no symptoms.

Early symptoms can include, general discomfort or pain around the stomach area, sickness, bowel disturbances, diabetes, jaundice and itchy skin.

Later signs can include loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, back pain, low mood and depression.

l For more information view pancreaticcancer.org.uk