A YATE father who lost his life to a brain tumour after raising £110,000 towards research is the inspiration behind his friend cycling 400 miles in four days to raise further funds.

Ian Meek was 42 when he lost his life to a brain tumour on August 1, 2012, and now friends and supporters are looking to raise £40,000 for charity Brain Tumour Research in his memory.

Mr Meek was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour in 1994 after suffering a fit on the way home from a football match. Despite five major operations, the tumour turned malignant nearly four years ago.

Originally from Yate, the father-of-three had moved to Yorkshire some years earlier where he raised more than £110,000 for Brain Tumour Research and Support across Yorkshire (BTRS).

Now his friend Carol Robertson, 54, who he met through a patient support group, is gearing up to cycle 100 miles a day for four days to raise money for the charity in his memory.

Ms Robertson, who is head of community fundraising at Brain Tumour Research, said: “I have been cycling for quite a few years but this is by far the biggest challenge I have ever undertaken. I will be aiming for a steady pace of 15mph and be on my bike for 11 hours each day, no doubt battling against prevailing winds and in what I expect will be poor weather and visibility.

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and the under 40s but still research in this area receives just 1% of national cancer research spending in the UK. I will be dedicating my efforts to Ian and the many others who are so cruelly touched by this devastating disease.

“My ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for patients and to continue to fund research which will lead to a cure.”

The cycle ride, dubbed the “Tour de Labs”, will see Carol setting off on Saturday, February 28 from the charity’s HQ in Buckingham and visiting each of the four Centres of Excellence funded by Brain Tumour Research – two in London, at Imperial College and Queen Mary University London before heading south for the universities of Portsmouth and Plymouth, completing the event at the beginning of March, national Brain Tumour Awareness month.

Mr Meek's mother Pauline Meek, who lives in Yate, said: “We have to find a cure for this dreadful disease and research is the only way this is going to happen.

“It is particularly heartening for us to see that Brain Tumour Research is funding research into low grade tumours at Plymouth University.

“We know from our experience how debilitating these tumours are. Ian never gave up and we won’t either until a cure is found.”

Mr Meek lived with a low-grade tumour for 15 years before it became aggressive.

A keen cyclist, he was a prolific fundraiser during his last three years, organising challenges including cycling events and raising more than £110,000 to fund a programme of brain tumour research at Leeds University.

The sponsorship target of £43,840 will fund four days of research at each of the Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence.

To make a donation go to www.justgiving.com/OldBirdOnaBike or to find out more visit www.braintumourresearch.org/tour-de-labs.