Thousands of cyclists are set to take part in the 58-mile London-to-Brighton Bike Ride next week.

The popular race has been held since 1976 and is Europe's largest charity cycling event.

But anyone planning to turn up on the day to join in will be disappointed - all the places are taken.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF), which organises the ride, has warned people who have not already entered not to turn up on Sunday, June 20.

The leading heart charity hopes to beat last year's fund-raising total of £2.5 million.

Competitors will have to rely on a fleet of lorries and coaches to get home after South Central told the BHF its new rolling stock, which cost £856 million, was not suitable for carrying large numbers of bicycles.

The event has attracted about 27,000 cyclists this year and reached full capacity by March.

Last year people including heart patients, riders in fancy dress and a blind pensioner braved one of the hottest days of the year to take part.

The event begins on Clapham Common in London at 6am and takes cyclists through south London before heading into leafier Surrey.

The ride passes through Turners Hill and Ditchling, with the fastest riders finishing in Madeira Drive, Brighton, just after 9am.

But most people prefer to take their time, even stopping at pubs along the route and walking up Ditchling Beacon, the highest point of the ride.

Many competitors take the opportunity to relax on Brighton beach or enjoy the seafront bars after they finish.

Riders take part using a huge variety of bikes, from racing and mountain cycles to vintage models and tandems.

A BHF spokesman said: "It always seems to be hot when the ride is held, which means we get a lot of people coming along to cheer everyone on.

"It is our biggest fund-raising event of the year."

The annual event started in 1976 when a group of 30 friends cycled from Hyde Park to Brighton seafront.

The ride grew in popularity and in 1988 it broke a world record, attracting 31,678 cyclists.

Since then, the numbers have been reduced for safety reasons.

Thousands of teams and individuals have taken part in previous rides, prompting many heart-warming stories and heroic feats.

Simon Creamer proposed to his girlfriend after crossing the finishing line of the 26th ride in 2001.

Blind war hero Ray Sheriff, 82, completed the event last year on a tandem bicycle.

More than £26 million has been raised for the BHF since 1980.