A DAREDEVIL raised more than £1,000 for a hospice by facing his fears and plunging into the floor of a cave.

Jonathan Main from Burnham-on-Sea completed the Black Cat Free Fall Challenge with his friend, Brian Wharmby, and climbed a 30ft ladder in Gough’s Cave in Cheddar before taking a leap of faith and enjoying an exhilarating plunge to the floor of the cavern.

Jonathan, who has epilepsy and autism, volunteers at the St. Margaret’s Hospice shop in Burnham and has completed a number of challenges to raise funds for the charity in recent years.

“This was the most frightening abseil I have done, but I enjoyed it and I’m very pleased to have raised so much money for the hospice,” Jonathan said.

“The staff at Cheddar Caves were very helpful and patient, and obviously loved their job.”

Jonathan was joined by family and friends when he visited St Margaret’s Hospice in Taunton to give the hospice's staff a cheque for £1,000 and donations on Jonathan's fundraising page have reached more than £1,100.

Ann Lee, chief executive of St. Margaret’s Hospice, thanked Jonathan for his brave effort.

She said: “Jonathan’s brave fundraising efforts are an inspiration to us all.

“As a Somerset charity, we rely on the generous support of our local community and I’m constantly amazed by the imaginative ways people find to help us care for people facing life-limiting illnesses.

"The money raised by Jonathan’s challenge could pay for the essential equipment needed by one of our Specialist Community Nurses to provide care to patients in their own homes.”