Dinner and dive from air balloon

The team dined on high

A team of explorers say they have broken a world record to host a dinner party at a table suspended below a hot air balloon at 24,000ft (7,315m).

David Hempleman-Adams, Bear Grylls and Lieutenant Commander Alan Veal were all involved in the unusual and dangerous challenge in Somerset.

A three-course spread was laid on for Mr Grylls and Lt Com Veal who abseiled from the balloon's basket to the table.

They saluted the Queen before skydiving to earth.

Mr Grylls, 30, said: "The aim was to celebrate 50 years of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

"The record was set at 22,000ft (6,705m) in the Himalayas and we wanted to break it with a twist."

The only drawback about the stunt was the other two members of the team ate all the food so there was nothing left when I landed David Hempleman-Adams

Temperatures reached -45C as the adventurers enjoyed duck a l'orange on plastic plates.

In 1996, Mr Hempleman-Adams became the first Briton to walk solo and unsupported to the South Pole. In 2000 he was the first man to fly a balloon over the North Pole.

Mr Grylls, a former member of the British SAS, became one of the youngest climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return alive in 1997, aged 22.

Mr Hempleman-Adams said: "Without doubt, this is the strangest record I have ever attempted. It was a fun stunt but was at the same time very dangerous.

"There were potentially a lot of things that could have gone wrong.

"The only drawback about the stunt was the other two members of the team ate all the food so there was nothing left when I landed."