THREE Daily Echo employees are taking to the skies later today to complete a terrifying 10,000ft leap into the unknown.

Mike Tamlyn, Phil McKee and Lee Jeffery have agreed to take part in a nerve-jangling sky-dive to raise cash for meningitis research.

The jump will involve the trio, all from Southampton, falling for about one mile at 120mph before their parachutes open.

None of the three have ever made a parachute jump before and to make matters worse, Phil is scared of heights.

Assistant systems manager Phil, 43, from Lordswood, said: "I've cancelled holidays before now and lost my deposit because I hate flying.

"Planes just seem like flying coffins. But I agreed to do this jump and a lot of people are relying on me to do it, so there's no stopping now.

"And we're doing it as a team - so I can't let the others down."

Mike, a self-confessed adrenalin-addict from Shirley, had always wanted to try sky-diving and decided to organise the jump a few months ago.

He said: "It started as a bit of bravado to be honest, but it suddenly got serious when the forms arrived."

Phil, Mike and Lee, also from Shirley, agreed that they should raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation, following the death of a colleague's grandson to the disease.

The charity jump takes place at Honiton in Devon this afternoon.

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