Two brothers are to embark on a 310- mile cycle trek to raise money for a multiple sclerosis charity in memory of their father.

Solicitor David Palmer, 39, who lives in Menston, will undertake the ride, starting on June 22, from London to Paris with his brother James, 35, who lives in Surrey.

The brothers are aiming to raise at least £2,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust, a charity which helps sufferers of the disease and their families.

Their father Robert, a teacher, died in 2000 at the age of 54 after suffering from the disease for eight years David said: “MS is a malicious disease and what is often not fully appreciated is the devastation it wreaks on families who have to cope with its ramifications.”

“Our family would not have been able to cope if it hadn’t been for the skilled medical and care staff who directly or indirectly benefited from the insights and support the MS Trust brings to dealing with the disease.”

The MS Trust is a leading independent UK charity for people with MS, their families and friends, and for all health and social care professionals who work with them. They provide information, professional education and fund practical research. But in order to provide that support MS Trust needs funds. For example, the cost of a nurse or therapist attending a regional study day, where they can learn practical information to inform their work with patients with MS is £76, while £250 per day is needed to fund the MS Trust’s MS Nurse Specialist who plays a crucial part in the Trust’s campaign to improve the quality of services available to people with MS.

“My brother and I both love cycling, as did our dad,” said David.

“We thought it was an appropriate challenge, if a little daunting at 310 miles, to cycle in his honour and at the same time raise funds. “Together we want to raise at least £2,000 for the Trust.”

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults, affecting 100,000 people in the UK. Everyone knows the negative images that a diagnosis can conjure up but whilst no one denies that MS can be devastating, positive steps can be taken to improve quality of life.

MS may be incurable but it is far from untreatable.