A REDDITCH man is set to cycle thousands of miles across Japan to honour his late uncle and to raise money for the Royal Marines Charity. 

Danny Ensor is in the last few weeks of training before heading to Japan to embark on a month-long, 2,361-mile 'Zulu Commandos' extreme cycle ride in memory of his uncle, former Royal Marine Chris ‘Brummie’ Dooley.

He passed away aged 58 after suffering a cardiac arrest in April last year just months after retiring.

Rough camping along the way, Danny will be navigating the country's infamous mountainous terrain as he travels from the southern tip to its northern reaches.

Danny, aged 32, said: “My uncle and I had been planning to travel across Japan together.

"And so, to mark the first anniversary of his death, I was determined to go ahead and make those plans reality.

"I also lost my sister and a second uncle last year so this will also be tribute to their memory.

"Chris served a total of 34 years in the Royal Marines. He had only been retired for about 10 months when he died. 

"He was an incredibly important person in my life. I can only say that he was like a second father to me.

"Without Chris I wouldn't be the individual I am now. Like him, I also joined the military and completed the Commando course, earning my Green Lid as he did.

"It made me feel like I'd won the lottery twice knowing that my uncle was proud of me.             

"To his fellow Marines, my uncle embodied the core Commando qualities throughout both his military career and his brief life as a civvie and he supported his favourite charity, RMA - The Royal Marines Charity, to the very end.

"Now, along with my oppo, Emanuel Gramada, I hope to raise £30,000 for the charity.”

In the run-up to the journey, the pair has already completed smaller fundraising events to get the ball rolling and to date have raised over £4,000.