A Stoke Newington dad led the way down an abseil from an eye-watering height of 115m for charity.

Saam Amerat, of Dynevor Road, in Stoke Newington, was one of 63 people who took part in the descent from the top of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium, to support the Richard House Children’s Hospice in East London.

He said he was motivated to give something back to the hospice, which cares for his son Abdullah who has Pompe disease, caused by the buildup of a complex sugar called glycogen in the body’s cells.

Saam said: “There are some kids who are not going to get better and my son is one of them. I wish it wasn’t the case, but it is. A lot of people think hospices are places where people go to die, but it is really the opposite. Children’s hospices allow kids to live. They get to be kids, and do what kids do, and it gives them sometime away from hospitals and invasive procedures.”

Peter Ellis, chief executive at Richard House also took part in Sunday’s abseil. He said: “The abseil was a certainly a hair-raising experience, but it was wonderful to see so many people come out and take on the challenge to support the hospice.”