TAUNTON-born cyclist Ben Rockett set a new world record 14 years ago when he cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back in under six days.

Mr Rockett, then 23, completed the journey in five days and 21 hours, arriving in Land’s End at around 6am on August 27, 2010.

He beat the previous record for the 1,781-mile journey – set at six days and twenty hours by Bobby Brown in 2000 – by an impressive 23 hours. The dedicated cyclist also used the challenge to raise money for charity Cardiac Arrest in the Young, who are dedicated to reducing the frequency of sudden cardiac deaths in young people. So far he has raised just over £2, 535 and donations are still flooding in.

Paddy Goodall, who taught Mr Rockett at Taunton’s Richard Huish College, said at the time that the achievement was typical of his unerring determination: “Ben was one of the most capable and ultra-determined students I’ve met in a long time. You knew that once he set his mind on doing something, he would achieve it.”

Harry Lee, a friend of Mr Rockett, added at the time: “When he gets his mind set on something he gets it done, he doesn’t know when to stop!”

Mr Rockett began his journey at 9am on August 21 and reached John O’Groats at around 10pm on August 23rd. On the return journey he battled fatigue, hunger and strong head winds.

Mr Rockett, who was studying for a PHD in Children’s Mental Health and Animal Assisted Therapies at Bath University, spent up to fifty hours a week training for the challenge by cycling thousands of miles and staying awake for up to 70 hours at a time.