CELEBRITY TV doctor and Stroud GP Dr Dawn Harper has once again swapped swabs for the saddle to complete her second London to Paris bike ride to raise money for children’s health charity Action Medical Research – and this time she took eight other Gloucestershire doctors along with her.

Best-known as one of the presenters of Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies, Dawn, who practices at Frithwood surgery in Bussage, caught the cycling bug last summer, when sh embarked on a 300-mile journey for the same charity.

Riding as captain of Team GP, last year her eight-strong group raised more than £12,500 for the charity, which funds medical research to help sick and disabled babies and children.

This year they more than doubled their numbers to 18 riders and have so far raised almost £22,000.

Dawn and the team left London early on Wednesday, July 21 and following a different route to last year’s ride, arrived in Paris four days later, the day before the finale of the Tour de France.

The final leg of the trip saw them join almost 700 other charity cyclists to ride down the Champs Elysees to finish at the Eiffel Tower.

This year’s team included doctors from Rowcroft Medical Centre, Locking Hill surgery and Frithwood surgery.

They were also joined by Dawn’s husband, Dr Graham Isaac, and ten willing friends, including Mark Tallents, landlord of the Butchers Arms pub in Sheepscombe.

To sponsor Team GP visit www.action.org.uk/teamgp