WILTSHIRE councillor Laura Mayes didn't realise quite what she was letting herself in for when her teenage son suggested bonding over a bit of hill climbing.

For the pair ended up taking on the highest mountain in Africa and at times Mrs Mayes wondered if she would survive the trek up Kilimanjaro with Angus, 18.

But she has lived to tell the tale and has now made a donation to Cannons House respite home in Devizes after completing the challenge.

Mrs Mayes, 51, who lives in Devizes with her husband and two sons, said: "It is the hardest thing I have ever done. I thought I was quite fit as I do a fair bit of running but this was completely different.

"At times I was so exhausted and felt very ill and wasn't sure if I was going to make it. But I am delighted that we completed the challenge together.

"It was Angus' idea. He suggested a bit of mother and son time and came up with this idea."

She said a number of other people on the organised trek in Tanzania suffered badly from altitude sickness and had to be taken off the mountain.

She said: "It took six days and we were camping out. It definitely wasn't easy but we reached the summit on New Year's Day and it was all worth it.

"I have given a donation to Cannons House as a personal gift. I didn't ask anyone for sponsorship as this was something that Angus and I wanted to do."

Mrs Mayes, who five years ago was diagnosed with breast cancer, has carried out a number of charity running challenges since recovering including running the Bath Half Marathon to raise money to back the Gazette's appeal for Devizes Opportunity Centre back in 2014.