Amputee in Himalayan ascent bid

Left to right: Ben Clay and Laurence Staegemann, his prosthetist

A 25-year-old man with an artificial leg is aiming to climb 4,500 metres to base camp on Mount Everest for charity.

Ben Clay, of Haverhill, Suffolk, had his right leg amputated above the knee after being diagnosed with cancer.

Ortho Europe, which makes prosthetic components, is donating a knee mechanism which will fit into his leg during the attempt in October.

It is designed to allow him to walk naturally at changing speeds and over all types of terrain.

Analyse the walk

"It is a state-of-the-art knee mechanism, which has its own computer chip to analyse the way Ben walks in extreme conditions," said a spokeswoman for Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, where Mr Clay is a patient.

"The knee is hydraulically controlled and its statistics counter will keep track of Ben's progress, recording the number of steps he takes, the distance he covers and the varying levels of his activity," she said.

Mr Clay, who will be raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, says: "It's exciting but a bit daunting. I've already sailed on a ship in the Caribbean since I had my leg amputated and climbed rigging in storms, which gave me my confidence back.

"Now I'm going to really test myself."