A BAUGHURST grandfather raised over £1,500 for a cause close to his heart by abseiling down a Hampshire landmark.

Tony Jeffrey, of Willow Corner, abseiled 97 metres down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth last Saturday to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK.

The 75-year-old was diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition in August 2005.

But the grandfather-of-five said he was “lucky” as his symptoms haven’t affected him as much as other people.

The 75-year-old, who has volunteered with the Silchester District and Baughurst Scout Group for nearly 35 years, decided to take part to mark his 75th birthday and 10 years of living with the condition this year.

And Tony has been amazed at the generosity of people which means he has raised £1,521 with more donations still to be collected.

He told The Gazette: “I enjoyed it and it was a beautiful day. It was not as easy as I thought it would be. It was forecast to be gusty and I am glad it was not.”