A LORRY driver swapped his air suspension seat for one 500ft in the air to raise money for charity.

David Todd from Garland Road, Parkeston took to the sky strapped to the top of a Boeing Stearman bi-plane going at speeds of more than 130mph.

The 53-year-old, who has two children and one grandchild, said the 15 minute wing walk as the plane banked and circled over the Essex countryside was the “most terrifying experience of his life”.

He said: “I had to lose two stone before they would let me fly.

"I previously weighed 14 stone so the weight loss was an added bonus to the money we raised for charity.”

David is no stranger to great heights as he jumped from many planes when he was in the Army between June 1981 and November 1995.

His main role was as a driver and he served in the Falklands, after the war, as well as in Northern Ireland.

David added: "It was very different to anything I've done before.

"I must admit I was very nervous and frightened to start with but it was a massive adrenaline rush.

"Though it was the most uncomfortable sea I've ever sat on."

David, an Essex Freemason, has raised more than £1,600 from the daredevil stunt for charities in the Harwich area through the Freemasons’ Grand Charity.

The charity provides grants for hundreds of people who are experiencing financial difficulty as well as national causes.