A thrillseeker put her nerves aside and took part in a sky dive on Sunday to raise money for St Francis Hospice.

Ashleigh Coules, 22, of Martins Corner, Dagenham, said: “It really was brilliant. I was so nervous beforehand, because not only was it the first time I’d done a sky dive, I’d never been on a plane before either.”

After waiting for two hours for the fog to clear, Ashleigh was flown 12,000ft into the air. She said: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I was scared, but when it was time to jump out of the plane, the rush of adrenaline took over and I forgot about being nervous. I’d definitely do it again if I ever had the chance.”

She raised �910 for the hospice in Havering-atte-Bower, which cares for people from Barking and Dagenham.

To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/Ashleigh-coules