TWO Essex accountants who rolled back the years to become “hairy bikers” for the day are on the road to raising �2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Trust charity.

Nigel Whittle and John Smith-Daye, who are both partners at Lambert Chapman, which has offices in Braintree and Maldon, took part in a “Not The Olympics 2012” fund-raiser organised by the UK200Group network of accountants to which the firm belongs.

The challenge was for participants to carry a torch around the UK using any means of transport apart from a modern car, with a national target of raising �50,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

Having both been active bikers in their youth, Mr Whittle and Mr Smith-Daye decided to emulate TV’s “hairy bikers” by setting out on a pair of vintage Vincent motorcycles.

Starting from Great Tey, near Colchester, where the firm was hosting a UK200Group breakfast, they travelled through Long Melford to Newmarket, where they stopped to speak at a Rotary Club of Newmarket lunch.

They then continued to the offices of fellow UK200Group firm Bowser Ollard & Bentley in Wisbech before finishing with another presentation to Wisbech Rotary Club.

Mr Whittle, who is managing partner, said: “As I had not ridden my bike for five years I certainly was suffering from being in the saddle at the end but it was a wonderful day during which we met and spoke to a lot of generous people in aid of a most deserving cause.”