A BRAVE council chairman took to the skies to carry out a daring wing-walk in aid of a prostate cancer charity.

Hamford ward councillor Mark Platt, 43, hopes to raise £12,000 in 12 months to benefit 12 charities during his year as Tendring Council chairman.

The third fundraising event of his year in office saw Mr Platt, who used to be a volunteer air ambulance pilot, take to the skies for a sponsored wing-walk with the Breitling Wingwalkers team at RAF Rendcomb in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

The charity stunt, which took place on July 18, was in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.

Mr Platt said: “Prostate cancer is something that scares the living daylights out of me, as it would do any man.

“I wanted to do something else I would find scary to raise money to help tackle it. I have been flying for nearly 30 years and have done all different types of flying.

“When you are the captain of an aircraft, you are in control.

“But with something like prostate cancer you are not in control – as with being on the wing of someone else’s aircraft.”

After a safety briefing, Mr Platt was strapped on to the aircraft before take-off. The pilot carried out nail-biting wing stall manoeuvres and pushed the aircraft and its wing-walker to almost 80mph.

“It was exhilarating,” said Mr Platt.

“I think knowing that I was also a pilot, the pilot was a little more daring than he would be with other first-timers.

“The prospect was rather scary, but I was put more at ease the moment I met the pilot.”

Mr Platt thanked the team, which has opened the Clacton Airshow in previous years, for their help and support for the charity effort.

To donate online, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/chairmanswingwalk.