AIRCRAFT technician Martin Atkinson from Wool has scaled the heights to raise cash for Help for Heroes.

He battled through snow to walk four peaks of the Brecon Beacons in Wales with two comrades from the Royal Air Force.

The trio – Martin, John Cooper and Dennis Bailey – have raised more than £1,000 for the charity from the gruelling 27-mile-long trek.

Martin, who lives in Wool with girlfriend Jenny Lewis, said: “The weather was perfect for walking, giving us clear blue skies and very little wind. “When we arrived at the Beacons there was an eight-inch minimum snow cover and it was sometimes up to thigh deep, which made the walk a little more arduous.”

Martin, who is an RAF propulsion engineer and aircraft technician, added: “We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and still have the blisters and bruises to prove it.”

Martin and his colleagues took just under 12 hours to walk the four peaks.

They climbed Craig y Fan Ddu first at 683m and followed contours across to Fan y Big, the smallest of the four peaks at a 719m above sea level.

The trio then following the contours and tackled a vertical descent to the base of Cribyn.

From Pen y Fan at 886m, they then scaled Corn Du, the second highest peak at 873m before returning to their stating point.

Martin’s parents Kathyrn and Rob Atkinson live in Wool.

Aunt Jan Hardcastle, who lives in Bovington, said: “We are all very proud of him.

“It was a fantastic effort and all for a really good cause.”

Martin added: “I would like to thank all who sponsored me to personally raise over £400 and all together to raise just over £1,000 for Help for Heroes. “The money we raised will be put towards the young men and women of the Armed Forces who have been injured in the conflicts overseas, providing them with aid and equipment used in rehabilitation centres.”