An 83-year-old daredevil who jumped out of a plane for charity said he “absolutely loved" the feeling of freefalling.

Patrick Harris, of Abbeyfield House, Hampstead Garden Suburb, raised £200 for the North London Hospice with his skydive.

The retired steeplejack was amongst the oldest people taking part in the organised jump in Oxford on Friday, but said he was by no means scared.

He added: “I was thinking about my family when I was up there. It was a great chance to reflect on my life.

“My mother, Oshea, and sisters Eileen and Peggy both died of cancer so they were very much on my mind when I was up in the sky.

“I absolutely loved being in no man’s land up there. It was a beautiful day, the scernery was terrific and it was altogether very enjoyable.”

Mr Harris did not tell his only son, Sean, about his jump and is still deciding how to broach the subject with him.

As a retired steeplejack, he is not scared of heights and had been planning his challenge for more than a year.

Mr Harris is accustomed to planes, having spent more than half his life travelling to and from America, Scotland and Ireland, where he fought in the Korean War.

He added: “There were no problems at all. It was a very smooth jump.

“I’m very proud I achieved this and raised all the money I did. It goes to show, if you want to do something, you truly can put your mind to it to make it happen.”