A Maidstone mum whose eyesight was severely damaged after a cycling accident has finished a 1,500-mile, 21-day tandem bike ride with her husband for charity.

Kate Bosley pedalled from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End , in Cornwall, before making her way to the Kent Association for the Blind (KAB) headquarters, in Maidstone, finally disembarking on Friday.

During the journey, when they averaged more than 70 miles a day in the saddle, Kate and husband John, both 58, were blasted with icy temperatures and rain on Scottish mountains, their trusty tandem had to be repaired and they had to make sure masks and hand sanitiser were always at hand.

Throughout, however, they were blown away by the kindness of strangers.

Kate said: "There were challenging days, it wasn't a picnic every day. On one occasion, we were looking for somewhere to stop and eat and eventually we found a hut on the side of the road.

"She was just locking up but said she could fill up our water bottles, and then came back with ice creams for us as well. She saw our KAB shirts and she went in to her car and gave us some money as a donation."

Another time, the owners of a bed and breakfast the pair were staying at cut their price by half, so they donated the other half to KAB.

Kate lost a quarter of her visual field after coming off her bike in Tenerife seven years ago, changing her life forever.

A head injury left her with memory loss and at one point she couldn't remember who her own children were, or her age.

For several years she couldn't even read a book and she had to leave her position as chief executive of Heart of Kent Hospice.

While grappling with the aftermath, the mum-of-four realised she had a 'blind spot' on her right, after nearly being run over by a car twice.

Kent Association for the Blind helped her understand her disability, told her about available support and taught her how to walk with a cane.

Despite the accident, her passion for cycling never diminished and John suggested the pair use a tandem bike, which he could control from the front, and the couple are now seasoned pros.

During the evenings of the challenge, when the pair visited restaurants or pubs, Kate was without her trusty guide dog.

"There isn't room on a tandem to carry a big white stick or a dog so I had to rely on John in the evenings," she said.

As Kate approached the charity's headquarters, excitement and relief washed over her.

"I really wanted to make a difference to KAB, so I wanted it to be more than a normal challenge.

"Lots of people cycle from John O'Groats to Land's End but not everyone does the length of the country and then the width."

John and Kate are close to their target of £5,000. To support them, click here.

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