For the residents of Weymouth, Danny the Bike Man may be a familiar name as someone to get in touch with for a cheap second-hand bike.

His real name is John Collins, 82, and he has been repairing bikes in his garage on Dorchester Road and selling them for more than eight years.

By doing this he has raised more than £40,000 for Weldmar Hospicecare.

Danny will fix up donated bikes, doing whatever repairs are necessary, and then sell them for a price upwards of £10 with the most expensive bike he sold being for £280. All proceeds are donated to Weldmar Hospicecare, a cause close to his heart.

Dorset Echo:

Danny said: "People say 'If you want a second-hand bike then speak to Danny'.

"As I am retired I enjoyed working on the bikes and meeting people, and seeing them go away happy with their new bikes."

This all started when his long-time partner Margaret, a member of the Friends of Weymouth, and himself organised a bric-a-brac sale on their driveway. He was given a bike to sell which raised £25. From then on he decided he had had enough of bric-a-bracs and wanted to focus on collecting, repairing and selling donated bikes from his home.

Margaret passed away on October 2021 in Weldmar Hospice with her sister Megan and Danny at her bedside holding her hands.

Danny added: "We held her hands as she drew her last breath, me on one side and her sister on the other."

Born on June, Friday 13, 1941 Danny was the first child to undergo open heart surgery in 1953, an operation his parents were told had a 50/50 chance of success.

Dorset Echo:

Afterwards, he was laid on his back for three months fed via a jug and given penicillin injections every four hours. He spent six months in the hospital and missed 18 months of school, but says he is stronger from the hardship.

The nickname Danny originates from his school days when there were several Johns in the same class. It came from the English musician Daniel Boone.

Earlier this year he announced that he would be scaling back his operation due to his age, and is being aided by a man named Bob who repairs the bikes for him, although Danny does often spend a few hours in his garage.