A daredevil university lecturer is helping to set a new world record — by taking part in the world's first skydive near Mount Everest.

Martin Preston, who lectures in anatomy and clinical studies at Oxford Brookes University, makes the jump next month.

The 46-year-old osteopath had to complete 200 skydives before he was eligible to take part with the Red Devils freefall team.

Mr Preston, the team osteopath, will be one of 16 people making a solo leap from 29,500ft — just above the summit of the world's highest peak.

He left for Nepal yesterday and after a 10-day acclimatisation trek in the Himalayas, will board a small aeroplane at the airfield near Syangboche, the highest airfield in the world.

The team will fly past the summit of Mount Everest before jumping out of the plane, dropping 17,000 feet back to the airfield below.

He said: "In the thin air we'll need oxygen, big parachutes and very warm jumpsuits.

"We'll fall much faster than normal, probably at more than 200mph, and we'll get about 40 seconds' freefall with Mount Everest only a few miles away.

"In a very real way this is my own personal Mount Everest — one of the biggest challenges of my life."

Mr Preston is raising money for the children's health charity The Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy.

The FPO provides free treatment for thousands of distressed babies and children and their families.

To donate, go to justgiving.com/ martinpreston.