AN inspirational cyclist is gearing up to take to the streets of London and Surrey in memory of his little niece.

Harry Fox, from Earls Colne, will bike the RideLondon-Surrey 100 course spurred on by the memory of Faith Hare who died at just 16 weeks old.

And now the 17-year-old hopes to raise £600 for Great Ormond Street Hospital which cared for Faith and helped her family before her death last August.

Harry, who goes to Colchester Institute, said: "At the moment I'm looking forward to it and also feeling quite nervous but it'll be good and I do cycle quite a bit.

"It was just a very stressful time, I was doing my GCSEs at the time so I had that to think about too.

"But I just want to raise as much as I can as a way of saying thank you to Great Ormond Street."

Faith was admitted to GOSH on the day of her birth last year - April 25 - for emergency surgery after she was born without a rectum.

She had further complex health needs including a severe congenital heart defect which was found to be inoperable and her mother and father, Emma Croft and Aiden Hare, were advised to remove her life support.

At that point she was given 24 hours to live but she survived and after a spell at Little Havens Children's Hospice, she was able to spend five weeks at home before tragically losing her battle on August 16 last year.

The baby almost died at two weeks but the care she received at the hospital saw her fight on.

Linda Fox, Harry's mother and Faith's grandmother, said: "It had a huge impact on us as a family at the time and we're still grieving now.

"I spent two months away from home and Harry was studying exams at the time so it was tough.

"Great Ormond Street were fantastic throughout though - they gave Emma and Aiden somewhere to stay while Faith there so they could be close to her."

Harry will take on the ride on July 29 and to donate visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/harry-fox3.