TWO local women were among a group of 12 who survived for three weeks in the jungles of Brunei.

And their exploits are being screened in the TV series Jungle Janes, now being shown on Channel 4.

Dr Patsy Spicer, a GP at Cradley surgery, and Benedicta Sewell, matron at St Richard's School, Bredenbury, were on the expedition.

Dr Spicer became involved because she knew the expedition's leader, Major Ken Hames, socially.

She said: "I had never been to the jungle before but I used to go hiking a lot in New Zealand when I was younger.

"I did a lot of training but I didn't know how much I needed to train. I was surprised to find how fit I was."

She said the greatest surprise in the jungle was how noisy it was.

"The insects went on day and night. When you are in the jungle, you expect to see lots of interesting animals, but you don't, because they are up in the canopy," she said. "We were down with the insects and they made a real racket. It was like a chainsaw on all the time."

The expedition was plagued by leeches, but Dr Spicer said they were nothing to worry about.

"They're not poisonous, they don't carry diseases, they just have their meal and then drop off, so they don't bother me," she said.

The last of the three-part series is at 9pm on Channel 4 on Tuesday (January 30).