INSPIRED by the bravery of a friend’s battle with cancer, Southend man Mark Dalley is planning an assault on the UK’s highest peaks to raise money for a cancer charity.

Mr Dalley, 25, was so moved by former workmate Kevin Holt’s courage he decided to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care.

This weekend, he will attempt to scale Mount Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, with friends Jessica Dakin, 27, from Westcliff, Andrew Sanders, 25, and Hayley Bappoo, 23, both from Southend as his backup team.

Mr Dalley, of North Avenue, Southend, said: “I’m doing all the driving, which will be a bit tiring. I’m looking forward to the challenge and it’s all for a great cause. I lived near Kevin in Berkshire for two years and he and his wife were such good friends. Since I moved back to Southend we’ve stayed in touch and he really is inspirational.”

To sponsor Mr Dalley, go to www.bmycharity.com/v2/macmillans3peaksclimb