A GUTSY father has conquered his fear of heights for the love of his son.

Ian Roberts faced up to his phobia by abseiling more than 200ft down Teesside's iconic Transporter Bridge, which towers over the River Tees.

He was motivated by his son, Craig, who suffers from autism, and a desire to thank teachers at Middlesbrough's Beverley Sc-hool.

The 39-year-old insurance company administrator said: "Standing on the edge after climbing all those steps to the top, I considered bottling out.

"I went ahead because I knew I would otherwise be letting everybody down who had sponsored me.

"It was the thought of raising money for the school and for the children, that came to me when I stood at the top,'' he said.

The challenge began when Mr Roberts entered a competition at work in which employees were encouraged to face their fears.

"The school has provided great support for both my son and my family.

"The development that he has made since attending the school has been remarkable and would not have been possible without the network of support from the teachers and other parents," Mr Roberts said.

Mr Roberts also had to beat his fear of water during the abseil.

"I am not too keen on going over water. It's more bridges and across water; that sort of thing," he said.

"It's the thought that if anything happened and I ended up in the water, how I would get out again."

The event raised more than £1,000 in sponsorship for the school.

His bosses at Churchill Insurance also donated a further £500.

Beverley headteacher Nigel Carden said: "We all want the very best for the children, and it's fantastic that one of our parents has supported the school in this way. It's also really good to hear that a big firm like Churchill has given so much backing to a cause chosen by one of their staff.

"Every penny that has been donated will make a big difference to the children with autism here at Beverley School.''

Abi Clark, spokeswoman for Churchill Insurance, said: "Churchill's Challenge You competition encouraged staff to face their biggest fears.

"Ian has gone the extra mile by not only challenging his fear of heights, but raising money for a worthy cause.

"It is a huge achievement."