A County Tyrone man has completed a 3,800-mile (6,115km) bicycle journey across the United States, raising almost £20,000 for a cancer support charity in memory of his late wife.

Declan Faulkner, 55, from near Ballygawley, cycled from Portland, Oregon, on the Pacific coast to Portland, Maine, on the Atlantic coast. He was accompanied by his friend Donncha O'Brien from Cork. The pair spent 43 days on the bikes, averaging 85 miles (137km) per day and covering 45,000m of elevation.

Mr Faulkner's wife Patrina died of breast cancer in April 2017, four years after her diagnosis. The couple had spoken about making a coast-to-coast trip across the US shortly after their marriage almost 30 years ago.

"Ten years had passed since she died and the kids have grown up, and I just thought wouldn't it be great to see America on two wheels with the memory of Patrina on my shoulder along the way," Mr Faulkner said.

He took a short career break from his work as a financial adviser to undertake the challenge. The route took the cyclists through the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, Devil's Tower National Park, the Great Lakes region, Vermont and upstate New York.

Mr Faulkner said the most difficult section was cycling through strong winds in South Dakota, where the pair ran out of water leaving Badlands National Park.

The funds raised will go to Charis Cancer Care, which runs a specialist centre near Cookstown, County Tyrone, where Patrina received support after her diagnosis. Arlene McAvoy of the charity said the centre provides free emotional, physical and practical support to about 1,400 people each year, including families and carers.

Mr Faulkner said he was proud of the achievement and believed his wife would have been proud too.