A POLITICIAN has had to abandon his charity challenge to cycle between Bolton Town Hall and 10 Downing Street.

Cllr James Daly, who is hoping to become a new Conservative MP in Bolton North East, completed 85 miles of the 200 mile route to the prime minister’s front door.

After battling rain, wind and snow through the Pennines, the father-of-two reached Derby on his third day before he had to drop out when he aggravated a pre-existing back injury.

Cllr Daly, a prospective parliamentary candidate who also represents North Manor on Bury Council, said he was "very upset" to have dropped out of the five-day challenge.

He had raised £80 for Bolton Hospice on his JustGiving page.

He said: “I aggravated a back injury, which made it impossible for me to continue.

“I feel very upset with myself. I have let myself down, I’ve let people down who have supported me and I’m very sorry that I couldn’t go ahead with what I wanted to do.

“I would like to have another go at it and succeed, but I would have to plan it in a different way and nurse my back in another way.

“I still want to do challenges and challenge myself all the time, but we will have to see what those challenges are.”

Cllr Daly will stand against Labour MP David Crausby in May, and insists he has what it takes to win the electoral race to a seat in the House of Commons.

“I would hope that a back injury would have nothing to do with political ambition”, he said.

“I only couldn’t do this because of my back — the people who criticise will be the people who never take on these challenges.

“I cycled 85 miles to Derby.

“I’m sure people would want an MP who tries to make things better than one who never tries to do anything.”