An adventurous motorcyclist has returned home after covering 70,000 miles and raising more than £10,000 for the cancer charity that provided a lifeline to a friend's son.

Mark Kemp, 54, of Black Notley, gave up his job as an automation engineer in January 2016 before setting off on the life-changing trip.

In 20 months, he crossed 26 borders on his F800GSA BMW motorbike, financing the trip primarily by renting out his home.

Mr Kemp said: "As a teenager reading Ted Simons Jupiter’s Travels I dreamt of riding round the world, at 53 I was fortunate enough to be able to undertake such a journey.

"Sadly while planning my trip a friend’s son was diagnosed with cancer so I decided to ride for Teenage Cancer Trust, the charity that supported him throughout his treatment."

Mr Kemp says he has "nothing but good memories" of the sights and the hospitality of Australasia, where he spent eight months travelling through varied terrain and conditions.

From New Zealand, where he spent some down time visiting family, he travelled to South America where he followed the route of the famous Dakar Rally.

After exploring South America, he traversed the USA through to Canada then back again to Alaska, dodging Grizzly Bears on the way. He wracked up further mileage travelling across North America, before he and beloved bike Bertha boarded a ship at Toronto and made the long trip home.

He said: "The journey was an amazing experience, one that I feel privileged to have taken. Not only did I see a lot of places on my bucket list I met some wonderful people who showed me that there is good out there in the world.

"Now I have a new challenge, settling down to a regular life, getting a job and paying the bills.

"However I am seriously considering joining some friends I made in Australia who are riding from London to Magadan, eastern Russia next year."

Donate at www.justgiving.com/Mark-Kemp3.

For more details of the explorer's travels, visit www.facebook.com/RTW4TCT.