THE top of the world and the trip of a lifetime beckon for a Malvern firefighter who nearly lost his leg in an horrific accident.

Sean Hinton, from Player's Avenue, will be trekking through Nepal and Tibet to reach the base camp of Mount Everest next March.

The ex-Royal Marine Commando's trip - in aid of Barnardo's - comes just two years after he fell from the second floor of the training tower at Malvern Fire Station.

He shattered his leg bone and at one point doctors feared they would have to amputate.

He could not carry out full duties at work for a year.

The 31-year-old, who now has a six-inch metal plate and nine screws in his leg, is now preparing for the two-week trip, which will take him to 5,200 metres (17,000ft) above sea level.

He decided to undertake the expedition after a colleague embarked on a similar trek through Costa Rica.

"There's people who organise this sort of thing and they sent him a list of what they were up to and one of them was Everest," he said.

"He said would I fancy it and I said 'sounds good to me, when do I go?'. I've always had an interest in Everest, I've read all the books and seen all the films."

Sean is planning fundraising events to help raise the £3,000 needed for the trip, including a sponsored fire engine push around Malvern with the Young Firefighter's Association in August.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Sean or donate to Barnardo's should call him on 01684 560146.