Sheila, 69, defies gravity - and fear of heights!

Pensioner Sheila Dearlove is on cloud nine after defying her fear of heights to jump 10,000 feet from a plane.

Sheila's son, Mark, paid for her to take a parachute jump as a surprise Mother's Day present, and the 69-year-old is walking on air after taking the plunge at Tilstock Airfields in Whitchurch on Saturday.

The grandmother-of-three, of Mostyn Road, Stourport, said she did not know whether she would be able to go through with the daunting dive when she was told of it by 37-year-old former Kidderminster Harriers player, Mark, but never looked back after resolving to do it.

The retired carpet setter will raise around £100 for York Street doctor's surgery in Stourport after being sponsored to leap out of the plane with parachuting instructor, Pat Walters.

The sponsorship money, which Mrs Dearlove is still collecting, will be used to buy new medical equipment for the practice.

"I really enjoyed it. I never thought I would because I'm terrified of heights and always have been but I did," Mrs Dearlove said.

"It took me a couple of seconds to adjust to what was happening as I went out, but it was like nothing on earth."

The mother-of-two, who worked at Carpets of Worth in Stourport after leaving Stourport High School at 14, said was proud of her achievement but had no plans to leap from a plane again.

Her husband, Norman, said he was immensely proud of his wife.

"She's been frightened to death over the years when we've visited old castles - she's crawled across the battlements because she's been so petrified of heights," he said.

"I was worried but I'm more than glad she did it."

..and Emma nets hospice cash in memory of Jaymie

A HIGH-flying teenager from Kidderminster has developed a taste for daredevil charity stunts after parachuting 13,000 feet to raise hundreds of pounds for a new children's hospice.

Emma Jacques said she was terrified before taking the plunge at Cirencester, but now plans to wing walk and free-fall to raise more vital funds for Acorns Hospice Trust's new facility in Worcester.

The 18-year-old was inspired to make the leap of faith after her godmother, Lesley Brown's, desperately ill daughter, Jaymie, was cared for at Acorn's hospice in Selly Oak, Birmingham.

Miss Brown, whose beloved two-and-a-half-year-old daughter died on December 15, 2002, after being born with complex congenital defects, said she was delighted with her goddaughter's fundraising efforts.

The 39-year-old said it cost £50,000 to keep one Acorns bed open for a year, and they needed all the help they could get.

"Jaymie had been in and out of Acorns to give me some respite, and they were absolutely fantastic," said Miss Brown. "Even now, they still come out to check me and make sure I'm on the right path in terms of grieving.

"It's nice to think Jamie touched so many people's hearts. What Emma's done will help other children like Jaymie and I think she was very brave to do it."

Emma admitted being nervous before her parachute jump, which she made in tandem with an instructor. Her most daring experience up till then had been bungee jumping around 180 feet at Birchen Coppice Fall earlier in the year.

The shoe shop assistant said: "People pledge more money for the madder the thing you do, so next time I want to do a freefall, which will be a lot scarier because you are not attached to anyone.

"The parachute jump has made me want to do it again and other things for charity. I want to go wing-walking because it's the next step up."

Emma added she had already collected around £500 in sponsorship but expected this figure to reach £600 by the time she finished.

"I'm happy with £500 but, next time I do something for charity, I'm going to try to better that," she said.