A FORMER serviceman is climbing the tallest mountain in Africa with a flag from his sons’ school.

Martin Dunn, governor of Chappel Primary School, started scaling Mount Kilimanjaro with two pals yesterday.

The father-of-four boys, of Wakes Colne, used to live in Kenya when he worked for Diageo drinks company, but did not climb the mountain while he was there.

He and his wife Sarah moved back to the UK ten years ago.

Marketing consultant Mr Dunn, who served as an infantryman with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, is taking on the challenge with friends Neil Stanley, of Bath, and Greg Fish, of Oxford, both of whom have also served in the armed forces, to raise money for Help for Heroes.

The school his three oldest sons Oliver, nine, Markus, seven, and Alasdair, six, attend has made a pillow-sized flag for him to take.

Mr Dunn, 44, said: “We don’t know how we will deal with altitude sickness – no matter how many times I run up Chappel hill, it won’t prepare me.”

They hope to mitigate the sickness by taking their time, and will report on progress by text message so friends can update their website with their progress.

They have raised £3,000 so far and are returning to the UK on October 10.

You can follow them at http://tinyurl.com/339sbeq or sponsor Mr Dunn on justgiving.com/Killi-Neil-Martin-Greg