Three generations of the same family have made history by leaping 12,000ft from an aircraft.

The foursome included Mary Newman, of Goda Road, Littlehampton, who was completing the skydive to celebrate her 80th birthday.

She was joined by two of her daughters - Inge-lise Newnham, 50, from Findon and Viki Beer, 44, from Rustington - and her granddaughter Jackie Mayne, 22, from Littlehampton.

Fearless Mary said: "I wasn't worried or nervous at all beforehand. I was just looking forward to it and I trusted my guide. It went really well and was brilliant fun." The outrageous octogenarian, who has been up in a light aircraft, hot air balloons and gliders, had always wanted to skydive.

So she leapt at the chance to throw herself from the aircraft at Netheravon on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, on Sunday.

Mary, who is Danish, was given the choice of the dive or a trip to London - but said there was "no competition".

Mary said: "You are hardly aware that you are falling but the pressure is quite strong so far up and especially when you leave the plane.

"Then, when the canopy opens it's so still and quiet and you are just hanging there. It's amazing."

Mary, who has lived in Littlehampton since 1965 and has five children, used the jump to raise £200 for Littlehampton United Church.

She said: "I'd like to say thanks to my children for arranging this for me and also, thanks to everyone who sponsored me and helped me raise so much money for the church.

"They are all brilliant."

Inge-lise and Viki raised about £1,400 for Cancer Research.

Mary's son Roy, of nearby South Terrace, said: "We gave her the choice of going to a London theatre show and then out for dinner or the jump and she chose the jump.

"There can't be many 80- year-olds who would want to do that."

Looking ahead to her 81st birthday, Mary said she would perhaps go for another suitably daring deed but ruled out whitewater rafting or bungee jumping.

Do you have daring grandparents? Tell us about their antics below.