Firefighter Bob Paterson yesterday bid farewell to Oxfordshire as he set off with colleagues on a two-week tour to promote seatbelt safety.

Mr Paterson, who is based at Rewley Road station, in Oxford, launched the Ride for Life project in memory of his son Dale, who was killed aged 13 in a car crash in Italy.

He and colleagues Neil Godfrey, Owen Pates and Steve Jordan left Abingdon fire station to travel to Land's End, where they will begin the 1,020-mile trip tomorrow.

Their first port of call will be Bodmin, where they will visit the fire station and assist in running a stall to highlight the importance of seatbelts.

The team will be back in Oxford on Wednesday, when they will be running a display outside the Westgate shopping centre from 10am.

Then it is on to John O'Groats, via more schools and supermarkets.

Mr Paterson said: "I'm glad the ride has finally come round. It's taken a lot of work and preparation, so we're hoping it will have the desired effect."

Dale was not wearing his seatbelt properly when the crash happened in Mosciano, Italy with his mother Helen and her boyfriend, Richard Bianchini, from Cowley, who was driving.

Bianchini, who was over the drink driving limit, was given a suspended sentence for the Italian equivalent of dangerous driving, and disqualified from driving for five months.

Follow the team's progress online at www.cycle4seatbelts.co.uk.