A skydiving pensioner from Burnham-on-Sea has fulfilled his lifelong dream and raised almost £3,000 for charity.

Malcolm Hill, who lives in Herbert Road, served with the Royal Marines from 1955 to 1957 but was turned down for parachute training because he was on National Service.

He has longed to do a jump ever since and more than 50 years later, at the age of 72, he realised his ambition by jumping from a plane at 10,000ft with the Red Devils.

Mr Hill said: "It went absolutely splendidly. It was planned for last Tuesday but called off because of low cloud, Wednesday was out as well. But then I went to a briefing where we were told Friday had the prospects of being a very good day.

"There wasn't a single thought of nerves or fear going up in the plane but my blood was chilled slightly when they said we'd drop for 45 seconds at 120mph before the parachute opened.

"Those 45 seconds seemed to last forever but it was so silent and peaceful it was fantastic."

Mr Hill, a father-of-two, was stationed in Lympston, Devon, along with 27 others in his squad. "We all wanted to join the Parachute Regiment because it paid nine pence a day jumping money and we were paid 28 shillings a week but we were all refused because we were National Service," he added.

He was demobbed from the military in 1957 and later worked for Guildford CID.

"The jump is something I have always wanted to do," he added. "I'm a life member of the Royal Marines Association, which does brilliant work as does Hope for Heroes, which supports servicemen and women, I've raised at least £2,800 for them and I'm still collecting the funds.

"It was superb and I think anyone of any age should go for it".

To send a donation, post it to 16 Herbert Road, Burnham-on-Sea, TA8 2HE.

Help for Heroes helps soldiers and other servicemen and women both directly and through its support of other service charities.

The Royal Marines Association maintains and promotes esprit de corps and comradeship among all Royal Marines.