He had never been in a plane before, but this Downham Market man decided to jump out of one at 13,000ft.

Andrew Bennett raised £700 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance by facing his fear of heights, and as if one skydive was not enough - he is now looking at completing a course so he can perform the leap on his own.

For many years Stradsett Park Vintage Rally has raised money for the EAAA but, for its 40th anniversary, organisers decided a change was in order.

But Mr Bennett, a committee member for the National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club which runs the rally, said he still wanted to do his bit for the charity.

'They are a fantastic life-saving charity and have got no government funding at all. When they started they had one helicopter, one day a week. Now they have two helicopters, seven days a week.'

The 28-year-old did the skydive at Ellough Airfield near Beccles, where he had the support of his family.

Not only has he raised enough money to fund more than three hours of fuel for a helicopter, he has also overcome his fears.

'If I am scared of heights now, there is something wrong with me.

'It's certainly a whole new experience. Using one word I would chose 'incredible' to sum it up. The best bit was the free fall at 120mph. It was brilliant from start to finish,' said Mr Bennett, who is engaged to Samantha Godfrey.

'After an absolutely incredible fall with the parachute open I had an awesome view of what was on the ground and in a flash it was time to lift my legs and prepare for the landing. It was nice to be back on terra firma but at the same time quite sad that it was all over that quickly.'

Have you got a story about facing your fears? Email sophie.biddle@archant.co.uk