A group of cyclists rode 70 miles (113km) across London to 'draw' the iconic Children in Need mascot Pudsey - using the tracking app Strava.

Clothes designer Nico Georgiou's incredible charity artwork took around a month to plan and over 12 hours to complete along with nine fellow cyclists.

The 59-year-old even had to lead his group through a building site after being barred from entering, before sympathetic builders let them through after hearing they were on a charity cycle.

Mr Georgiou, from Hither Green, southeast London, has previously created Strava artworks of the ancient Greek statue of Discobolus for last summer's Olympics, Mark Cavendish for the Tour de France and Queen Elizabeth for her Platinum Jubilee.

But the dad-of-three says his Pudsey piece is the favourite he's ever done because of the good cause behind it.

A JustGiving page set up for the cycle has already raised over £1,500 for Children in Need.

"This time I did it with others - usually I just do it by myself," Mr Georgiou said. "The Olympics one was 425km, this was 113. I took nine people with me. "

"It was crazy, just trying to get everyone together, crossing roads safely with all the usual breaks for food and fuel...It took us 12 hours - it should have taken seven but there was a lot of faffing. "

"The route took about a month to design; I threw it all down in the space of a couple of days and then went back to it over a month to work out which bridges to cross the river on. "

"It's all for Children in Need."

But Mr Georgiou explained that his planned route wasn't all plain sailing.

At one stage he said the group encountered a problem when a path through a car park was blocked by building works going on.

"We came up to this building," Mr Georgiou said. "They're doing construction on it, but normally on Google Maps, there is a path through the car park. "

"They had boarded the whole thing up. We said, 'We need to get through!', but they said we couldn't. "

"But one of us said, 'It's for charity!' and they opened up the doors and let us through. "

"Hampstead Heath was also tough, as there are parts where you have to walk it. This was my favourite to do by far because there is a good cause behind it. "

"And, quite honestly, it's the cutest one we have done as well. It's not every day someone draws Pudsey with their bike."

Mr Georgiou, who took cyclists from clubs Rapha Cycling Club and Chain Gang Cycling on his Pudsey ride, began getting into Strava art during the pandemic.

"I had time during Covid and there were people around the world doing it," he continued. "

"But with places like San Francisco or Australia, their roads are on a grid system; it's like an Etch A Sketch - you can draw really good things. "

"London is a bit of a challenge... there are things you have to get around, but as time went on I worked out how to overcome the obstacles."

"The Mark Cavendish one got millions of views when the Tour de France posted it - which was gobsmacking. "

"It's great to see the sunset and sunrise, but it's a labour of love. "

"People think there's something wrong with me - my wife thinks there's something wrong with me - but I just get on with it."

Mr Giorgiou has completed several charity bike rides in the past and is keen to do more - encouraging any interested parties to get in touch.

To donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/nicolas-georgiou-1728677217573

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nico_georgiou/