Explorers plan 'dinner and dive'

Mr Grylls and Lt Comm Veal will eat under the balloon basket

A team of intrepid explorers have unveiled plans to host a dinner party suspended below a hot air balloon at 25,000 feet.

David Hempleman-Adams, Bear Grylls and Lieutenant Commander Alan Veal will take to the skies above the West country for the record meal on 30 June.

Mr Grylls and Lt Comm Veal will climb down from the basket to a "table" laid for a formal three course meal.

After eating, they will salute the Queen before skydiving to earth.

The challenge will see the team battle the dual risks of a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) and temperatures of -50C.

'Strange salute'

The record attempt, which is to mark the 50th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, was announced on Tuesday, as the trio took part in a practice jump at Ston Easton Park near Bath.

Bear Grylls, 30, who in 1997 became the youngest man to climb Everest, said: "All the cutlery and plates will be held down by Velcro so there's no chance of things falling off the table.

"It will take us about 45 minutes to reach a height of 25,000ft and we think we've got about 20 minutes to eat the three-course meal."

Mr Grylls and Lt Comm Veal, 34, who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, will feast on asparagus tips, duck a l'orange and fruit terrine.

But they will have to alternate between mouthfulls of food and gasps of oxygen from special tanks to stave off the threat of hypoxia.

"After the meal we will salute the Queen - we will both be dressed in formal military dress - then we will back-flip off the table and skydive down to earth," said Mr Grylls.

"It should be one of the strangest salutes of all time."