A POPULAR bike ride across a mysterious Ministry of Defence island in south Essex is back after an absence of three years.

For nine years, up to 2,000 cyclists took part in the charity ride around Foulness, raising more than £175,000.

But after the 2005 event, the Ministry of Defence put the brakes on the fundraiser. Since then, organisers Thorpe Bay Rotary Club have worked tirelessly to negotiate access to the island with the MoD.

Now the ride will return on Sunday, September 13.

Project manager Garry Lowen said: “I am delighted, through the determined efforts of club members, we have secured the return of the ride.

“After the last ride, defence technology company Qinetiq put in place lots of health and safety measures, but we have finally managed to overcome them. We’ve had to change the route and will be starting from Great Wakering Primary School instead of Cupids Country Club, and now the ride will be on some public roads instead of all private roads.”

The Rotary Club of Thorpe Bay has chosen to support Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation’s Bosom Pals Appeal for two new digital mammography machines.

All riders are encouraged to raise cash for the cause, which will provide breast screening for women with shorter examination times, better technique and image quality.

The new route will take riders over some unmade roads and through farmland, so racing bikes will not be suitable. Part of the ride will be on public roads through Great Wakering to Foulness Island and the villages of Churchend and Courtsend in the north of the island.

Mr Lowen, a Rotarian for five years, encouraged riders past and new to register for a place.

He said: “Places will go quickly. This is a unique ride, giving riders an opportunity to cycle on this beautiful island that cannot normally be entered without a special pass.”

Riders of all ages and abilities can reach Churchend, the island’s quiet main village. The four-mile circuit beyond the village is suitable only for touring cycles or mountain bikes. Participants can cycle the circuit as many times as they like and will reach the most isolated part of the island rich in wildlife and a haven for birds.

Get an entry form by e-mailing rotary.ride@virgin.net, downloading it from www.thorpebay rotaryclub.org.uk or by calling 01702 525514.

The entry fee is £10 for adults and £5 for under-16s, who must be accompanied by an adult.