AN eight-year-old boy whose dad died from a rare form of cancer is taking part in the London to Paris bike ride to raise money in his memory.

Finn Robinson, of Dotcliffe Road, Kelbrook, will join his uncles Gareth and Neil on the first leg of their 310 mile ride.

The trio, plus family friend Ben Hoyle, 34, will be cycling in tribute to Finn’s dad Adam Robinson, 44, from Sough, who died on May 18 last year, just five months after being diag-nosed with cancer of the duodenum, which links the stomach with the small intestine.

He spent the last few weeks of his life in St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds and Finn still receives support from the hospice, which offers specialist chil-dren’s counselling and therapy sessions.

Finn, a pupil at Kelbrook Pri-mary School, said: “When my daddy was ill I used to visit him at St Gemma’s.

“It is really nice there, they have a good play area, and everyone is kind.

“I miss my daddy and wish I could have him back, but this bike ride is a good opportunity to raise money for St Gemma’s so that they can help other people.

“I remember daddy used to pick me up from school on his bike and we’d go cycling along the canal. It was fun.

“I want to cycle as far as I can. I can usually do about five miles, so I might be able to do about 20 if my uncles pull me along.”

He will be doing part of the ride alongside Neil, 40, a solar panel engineer from Barn-oldswick, and Gareth, 41, a Rolls-Royce engineer, also from Barnoldswick.

Neil said: “Adam’s death has left a big space in our lives. It just totally floored the whole family and everyone who knew him. You just don’t expect to lose your brother at the age of 44.

“Adam liked to go out cycling and Finn does too, so the bike ride seemed like the right thing to do to raise funds and aware-ness.

“Doing something like this gives us something positive to focus on.”

The five-day bike ride starts in London on July 3.

Adam, who worked as a luthier, making and repairing guitars and other stringed instruments, was born in Nel-son and grew up in Bar-noldswick. He attended West Craven High School and Nelson and Colne College.

Anyone who would like to help can visit http://uk.virgin moneygiving.com/team/adam.robinson1