CYCLISTS have donated £2,000 to a mountain rescue team which helped a friend and colleague seriously injured in a mountain biking accident.

Popular cyclist Geoff Proffitt, a chartered senior engineer based in Northallerton, was involved in a serious mountain bike accident on the North York Moors in 2012 after falling from his bike during a steep descent and injuring his upper vertebrae, leaving him with no feeling or movement from the neck down.

He received assistance from the Cleveland Mountain Rescue and from Yorkshire Ambulance Service and was airlifted to hospital in an RAF Sea King.

A group of his friends have been fundraising for the past six years for organisations which have helped Geoff and have just completed a 200-mile cycle ride, the Ribblehead Rumble, crossing through the Yorkshire Dales over three days.

They made a donation to the Spinal Injuries Association and the spinal injuries unit of the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, as well as donating £2,000 to Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team.

A spokesperson for the mountain rescue team, based in Great Ayton, said: “Geoff and all the riders and supporters were in great spirits after the challenge and we were all treated to a post event delicious buffet.

“Well done everyone, thanks for your support and generosity.”