A GRANDMOTHER with a fear of heights said the memory of her late husband gave her the strength to complete a charity abseil.

Pauline Jessett, 73, from Hartley Wintney, abseiled down the side of the 170-metre Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

The grandmother-of-two has raised more than £1,200 from the challenge for the hospice where her husband Pete died in 2011, having been diagnosed with cancer four years before.

Pauline said: "It was scary. I wanted a challenge and that stretched me.

"I got halfway down and I nearly ran out of strength. I was struggling but then I thought of my husband and how he did not complain. He just carried on and I thought, 'If he can do that', and I got a second wind.

"When I got to the bottom I was really shaky and I kept saying, 'I did it, I did it'."

Among those cheering her on were Pauline's fellow residents at the Pegasus Court retirement complex in Hartley Wintney, and members of her family. Also there were members of the Hampshire U3A group.

Afterwards, Pauline celebrated with her family friends by having champagne and a meal.

The money raised from the challenge will go towards the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, Surrey, and its project to build a Man Shed.

The project is aimed to boost the numbers of men who access bereavement services at the hospice. The shed will contain a workshop area, where men can work on furniture restoration projects, and a communal area.

Since her husband's death, Pauline and her family have raised more than £10,000 for the hospice, and she says the new project is apt.

"My husband was great at DIY and he lived in his shed when he retired and his grandchildren used to call him Papa Fix It. It is just so befitting."

To donate to the appeal, visit https://www.justgiving.com/Pauline-Jessett.