A SOLICITOR went back to his old Stourport school to present them with thousands of pounds he raised through a gruelling cycle ride to help them buy new library books.

Marcus Hayes, along with his friend Darren Wilson, cycled across England earlier this year and managed to raise £10,000 for his old Stourport Primary School.

Mr Hayes, who is managing director of Manchester and London based Mason Hayes Solicitors, completed the challenge as part of a literacy initiative that his firm’s charitable trust is working on with the school.

He went back there with Mr Wilson and his mother and former Stourport Mayoress Patricia Hayes to hand over the cheque that will be used to update its books and library facilities.

During the last year, he has also been visiting his old school to present a series of literacy awards in memory of his father, Roy Hayes, who died in 2014.

He said: “It was great again to have the opportunity to return to Stourport Primary. I would like to thank everyone who has sponsored this cycle ride.

“In doing so not only have they contributed significantly to the on-going excellent work of Stourport Primary and its teaching staff, but allowed the Trust to help a great little Primary School.

“The whole day was quite overwhelming. We were treated to musical performances by some of the children, took part in the school’s celebration assembly and Darren and I were presented with a thank you card each, that the children had made and detailed our cycle route. It was particularly special as every child at the school had signed it.

“My mother and I were also thrilled and delighted to hear that the school will name its new library, “The John Roy Hayes Learning Resource Centre” after my late father.

“I know he would have been very proud knowing that this donation will go a very long way to make a real difference to the lives of the children at the school and will bring a lot of joy and happiness.”