A BIKE-mad dad with a chronic illness is hoping to silence doubters when he embarks on an ambitious charity feat this summer.

Multiple sclerosis sufferer Steve Taylor, 43, will ride the 5,300 miles from Canterbury to the Arctic Circle on his Yamaha scooter to raise awareness of the incurable disease.

The father-of-three, of Neals Place Road, Canterbury, will set off from the gates of Canterbury Cathedral in June, and hopes to complete the challenge within six weeks.

He plans to ride through Belgium, Holland, Germany, Sweden and Finland, before arriving in Hammerfest, Norway, which is the furthest northern town.

The 43-year-old will then travel to Denmark, where he will take a ferry to Harwich, Essex courtesy of sponsors DFDS Seaways, before returning to Canterbury.

His exploits will be filmed on a camera attached to his crash helmet, with the footage featuring on a documentary about MS.

The former World Superbike mechanic hopes the expedition will draw attention to the daily hardships faced by MS sufferers, and also raise funds for the Kent Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre in Canterbury.

He said: "MS is a very unknown and unpredictable illness. When people are diagnosed, it can affect them very badly. I'm doing this to spread awareness and give hope to fellow sufferers.

"The therapy centre was like a lifeline to me when I was ill five years ago. They gave mental and physical support, and made my life a lot more tolerable."

Diagnosed in 1999, Steve has learnt to live with MS, but suffered a relapse five years ago causing him to lose his memory and ability to speak for 18 months.

His partner Denise Bottle also suffers from Multiple Sclerosis.

Steve has also received support from countless sponsors, including The Bike Shop in Faversham, Black Top Motorcycle Clothing in Whitstable, Dunlop, Ling Metals, Lawson Environmental Services, RST Clothing, Rock Oil, Davida Helmets, PM Tuning and Buff Clothing and Kennedy's Shoe Shop in Canterbury.

He added: "The amount of support is great, although some businesses pulled their sponsorship because they don't think I'll be able to do it. That's just made me more determined – I will be setting off, no matter what."

No stranger to mammoth fundraising challenges, Steve also completed a 3,000 mile sponsored bike ride to Africa on a Yamaha Aerox scooter last year for the same charity.

To sponsor Steve, contact the Kent Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre on 01227 470876.

The charity will launch its Butterfly Appeal for a new therapy centre on Saturday, with an evening of entertainment at Ashford International Hotel. Tickets cost £15 from the therapy centre.