AN Army colonel could set a new record for climbing every mountain over 2,000ft in the Lake District later this month.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Jones, who commands the Bicester-based 23 Pioneer Regiment, was already planning the marathon during his summer break.

However, once he finalised his plans, wife Jane suggested he considered doing it for charity.

The couple have friends at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison who's daughter is suffering from leukaemia, so Col Jones agreed his marathon mountain climb would be in aid of the Harrogate-based Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

"I didn't set out with a record or a charity in mind,'' he said during preparations at his home in Barton, North Yorkshire, yesterday.

"Nevertheless, if I complete the project within the ten days I've allowed, I think it will probably qualify as a record as I don't think anyone has done it before.''

Col Jones will walk and run the 300-mile route, setting off on Monday, August 26.

He is confident his Army training will stand him in good stead as well as his experience in mountaineering, which he can trace throughout his 22-year services career.

"The Pioneers are a fit regiment with a broad skills base,'' he said.

"They will be called on to fulfil a number of roles, whether it is mine clearance or the more traditional infantry tasks, with squadrons serving in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan at the moment."