Student's bid on 'indoor Everest'

Mr Allcock's 'Neverest' challenge began at 0900 GMT on Saturday

A student has begun an attempt to beat the world record time of climbing to the top of Mount Everest for charity.

Ben Allcock, aged 22, is making the 10,663ft (3,250m) ascent, about the distance between Base Camp One and the summit, on a university climbing wall.

The challenge involves him scaling the 39ft (12m) wall at Oxford Brookes University 271 times within the current record of eight hours and ten minutes.

Ben said the money he raised would go to the Association for the Blind (OAB).

He said: "I have always wanted to do something really exciting to raise awareness of the problems visually impaired people face and to raise much-needed funds for OAB.

"I am going to summit the height of Everest indoors in one day.

"My aim is to complete this task in a time faster than the current record for reaching Everest's peak, which stands at eight hours ten minutes."