A DAREDEVIL Watchet scout leader has raised £1,000 for charity by taking a leap of faith and completing a skydive.

Last Tuesday 1st Watchet Sea Scout leader Simon Bale went to Langar Airfield in Nottinghamshire and took on the challenge with the Army's Red Devil Parachute Display Team.

The skydive had been postponed twice due to the wet and windy weather but Simon finally managed to complete his challenge and raise £1,000 for the Devon Air Ambulance.

He chose this particular charity because one of his scouts was rescued by the charity 18 months ago following an accident on Dartmoor.

Simon, who works full time for the police and is a retained coastguard officer stationed at Watchet, had never done anything like this before.

He said: "To be winched up to a Coastguard Helicopter, or abseil over a cliff is tame compared to the 13,000ft drop I experienced.

"The fact we were travelling at 125mph through the sky doing back flips and turns before the parachute opened was something I will never forget and hope to do again one day."

Simon thanked all his supporters for their generous donations.