Intrepid Hadleigh firefighters are limbering up ready to climb "Mount Everest" in tropical temperatures on Friday.

The team from White Watch are bidding to undertake at least 730 trips climbing their 40 foot ladder, in aid of Little Haven Children's Hospice and the Fire Service Benevolent Fund.

They will park the ladder at Sainsbury's supermarket, Rayleigh Weir, and start their punishing sponsored endurance test at 10am.

Sub-officer Simon Dedman, from Hadleigh fire station, estimated it would take at least nine hours to complete the task.

He said: "We are climbing one of our big ladders, which is 40 feet high. We are having a scaffold tower built by AJ Scaffolding and will pitch two ladders.

"We will be climbing up and down these ladders until we have climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest, which is 730 trips."

Published Wednesday June 9, 2004

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