A Cockermouth man is on a mission to have a former cycling route reinstated.

There will be a stall on the town's Main Street promoting the route when the Tour of Britain is in town next month. 

Raymond Paterson is also hoping to meet with councillors and tourism officials to get the county route back on the map, with signs and publicity.

Raymond is one of the organisers of the popular annual charity bike ride, Clive's Cumbrian Way, which sets off from Cockermouth. The two-day, 276-mile challenge goes round the county. 

It was named in honour of Clive Jenkin, a Cockermouth man who died from motor neurone disease in 2010. 

Every year the cyclists raise money for a different charity and entries for the hugely popular event sell out within days of being released.

This year £5,000 was split between the Great North Air Ambulance and Macmillan Nurses.

The route follows what used to be known as The Cumbrian Way. Cyclists head to Carlisle and round the north east of the county before staying at Arnside in south Cumbria for the night, having covered 156 miles. The remaining 120 miles are covered the following day as the groups move through Barrow to Whitehaven and back to Cockermouth.

Raymond, of Henry Street, would like the route to be reinstated as a recognised five-day challenge, encouraging lots of cyclists to the area.

He said: "It was a popular route in the 70s and 80s but then it fell by the way side.

"It's a fantastic route, it's the only sportive that goes round the county. There are no passes, nothing extreme, but a bit of coastal, a bit of rolling, a mixed bag of everything.

"Now that cycling has really taken off I think it would be a great time to reinstate this route. It would be a real boost for the county, bringing lots of economic benefits."