A PURTON man is suing a fellow parachute jumper who landed on him and put him in hospital.

Simon Ward, of The Fox, is claiming more than £300,000 in damages from Wayne Humphrey for the injuries he suffered.

The pair were among 10 parachutists taking part in a freefall jump at Netheravon Airfield, near Salisbury, on July 6, 2003.

Mr Ward had successfully completed his jump when Mr Humphrey landed on him.

Before the accident, Mr Ward, who is now in his 50s, was described as a well-known thrill seeker who once broke a British record.

As well as a passion for parachuting, Mr Ward was a wing walker with the Crunchie team.

His love affair with the sky started in 1979 in Australia where he was working as a radio presenter.

He has taken part in thousands of jumps and in 1995 took part in the first ever British parachute landing at the North Pole.

Mr Ward, who once parachuted off the Clifton suspension bridge, helped set a new British record in July 1999 for the largest freefall formation.

The 120-strong team beat the previous record of 98 when they jumped from seven planes at 17,000 ft before joining up.

Before his accident he had four near death' experiences two where the chutes failed to open, one car crash, and a plane accident when two engines failed at 400ft.