FULLY recovered Dan Timmins never forgot the kindness showed to him by staff at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being involved in freak car accident near Wassell Grove over two years ago.

He was passenger in a car which skidded into a tree, completely shattering his pelvis.

Dan recalled: "We hit some water in the road and aqua-planed into the tree. It was the worst pain I've ever experienced and I was unable to move."

The 28-year-old spent several weeks in the QE before moving back to Stourbridge to live with his parents while he was reduced to a wheelchair.

Now the Pedmore based graphic designer is back up and running and has joined forces with three of his friends to cycle from London to Amsterdam next week to help raise some much-needed funds for the hospital that treated him.

He said: "This is my way of saying thank you to all the amazing staff who took care of me at the QE."

Dan will be joined on the ride by the driver of that ill-fated journey Damian Chana, from Kinver, together with Kionne Potter, of Lye, and Pedmore based Tom Meade.

The quartet will travel down to Central London on Tuesday, from where they will cycle 85 miles to Dover.

Next day they will cycle 75 miles from Calais to Bruges. The third day will comprise a 95-mile cycle trip to Rotterdam and they will complete the ride with a further 45-mile journey to Amsterdam.

Several Black Country companies have stepped into sponsor them including Sadler's Brewery and Bache Brothers Cycles, both in Lye.

Dan is reminded of his accident every week when he cycles right past the scene of the crash while on his way into work at Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.

Anyone wishing to sponsor the gutsy cyclist and his pals can do so via their online web page www.justgiving.com/beersburgersbikes