A teacher is celebrating after tackling the heights of Ben Nevis this weekend – without leaving her own house.

Nicki Carter, an English teacher at Pool Academy, decided to climb her stairs at home 500 times – the equivalent of going up the Scottish mountain – over what should have been the London marathon weekend.

On Friday afternoon she began her ascent, and descent - and ascent again - for the three day challenge. She scaled the stairs 113 times on Friday and 200 times on Saturday and Sunday to make the complete 1,345 metre elevation.

Nicki, a keen runner, said: “I decided to do the stair climb for two reasons really.

"The first is because all my races have been cancelled until September, so I thought it would be good to give myself another focus.

"The second reason is because a friend challenged me to and I thought ‘why not?’.

“By the time I had finished the challenge my legs felt ok but my back hurt.

“I have never done a challenge like that before, it seemed a crazy idea.

“I dedicated the climb to my really good friend Carolyn who works for Cornwall Hospice Care. She does an amazing job always but in particular now. And of course, my dad who had a terminal brain tumour.

“I think he would have found this challenge very entertaining.”

Nicki said any donations or sponsorship will be given to Cornwall Hospice Care.