A ST LAURENCE school pupil shrugged off his fear of heights to complete a 10,000ft tandem skydive and raised £475 for charity to boot.

Year 11 pupil Matt Ridyard raised the funds for Great Western Air Ambulance charity and went onto hurl himself of the plane at Redlands Airfield in Swindon on June 25.

For months, the 16-year-old - the minimum age you need to be to skydive - did car washes, raffles and cake sales to raise the funds and despite being uncomfortable with heights he said it was well worth it.

"It was amazing, one of the best experiences of my life so far," he said.

"I loved the speed and thrill of it, even though I am not keen on heights. There was lots of turbulence during the climb, making everyone’s stomachs churn, but once the chute opened everything was clear."

His mum Joanne Ridyard, who also works at the school with the SEN team, said: "We are so proud of him, he put so much effort into his fundraising and was so determined to do it, despite his discomfort with heights."