THREE students from Wiltshire and a barman have walked to the summit of Britain's highest peak with a barrel of ale and served pints to thirsty climbers.

Dave Cooke, 21, Harriet Allbrook, 21, and 19-year-old Oscar Price spent nearly four hours hauling the nine gallon cask of Tunnel Vision beer to the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland.

As well as the beer, they also took bottles, mats and pint glasses to set up a pop up bar to serve the hand-pumped Box Steam Brewery-produced ale to climbers at the 1,344 metre (4,406ft) high summit.

The three students answered an advert placed by the Holt-based brewery to take part in the challenge alongside brewery employee Dom Lane.

Mr Cooke, from Malmesbury, is studying educational psychology at Edgehill University; Miss Allbrook, also from Malmesbury, and has recently graduated from Manchester University; while Mr Price, from Semington, near Trowbridge, has just completed his A-levels and is planning a gap year before starting at university.

Andy Roberts, managing director of the brewery, said: "Tunnel Vision is one of our most popular beers and we're proud to see it served all over the country. We don't want anyone to miss out, so here we are - the highest bar in the UK. Cheers.

"This expedition is slightly more exploratory than our usual field marketing, but we are hoping that good beer and a spirit of adventure will appeal to thirsty students in NUS bars this term."