SCOUT leader John Kelly celebrated his 40th birthday by climbing in 40 hours the highest peaks in England, Scotland, Wales and Eire.

John, of Trawden, led a party which scaled Scafell Pike in the Lake District, 3,210ft; Snowdon, North Wales, 3,560ft; Ben Nevis, Scotland, 4,406ft, and Carrantouhill, Eire, 3,414ft.

The party hoped to add Slieve Donard, 2,796ft in Ulster, but the climbers ran out of time.

John was accompanied by neighbours David Walker and Jeff Binns, his brother-in-law Mark Best, who lives in Germany, and Mark's German girlfriend Evelyn Gryschka.

Their sponsored climb will raise money for East Lancashire charities and Action for Angola.

John said: "I was very proud of the group, it was a great achievement. We didn't get to Slieve Donard because we missed the ferry we intended to catch from Stranraer to Belfast.

"The ferry we eventually caught was showing the England v Germany match on television, but fortunately Evelyn is not interested in football."

The back-up team included John's wife, Carol and their 11-year-old son, Kris, and Trawden Scout leaders Keith Turbitt, and David Uttley who looked after catering and transport.

Picture: Four members of the team who scaled the heights for charity were (from the left) David Walker, Mark Best, Evelyn Gryschka and John Kelly