AN 82-year-old West Somerset woman jumped off a cliff dressed in a Santa outfit on Sunday (December 1) and raised more than £2,000 for charity.

Sam Westmacott, who lives in Watchet, was one of hundreds of Santas who abseiled down Cheddar Gorge to support St Margaret’s Hospice.

She made the 60-foot descent with her friend and personal trainer Marika Mossman, who runs Williton’s Fortitude Gym, where Ms Westmacott trained for the event by using a rowing machine and weights.

To date, the feat has brought in more than £2,000 from supporters all over the world, with Ms Westmacott still receiving new donations daily.

Ms Westmacott told the Free Press: “The people of Watchet have just reached into their pockets to throw money into my tin.

“People are still turning up on my doorstep with money, it is extraordinary how much the people of Watchet value the hospice.

“People have donated from America, Germany, France, Scotland, from all over the place.”

Ms Westmacott said she lost a close family member to pancreatic cancer and she had experienced first hand ‘the absolutely amazing support’ provided by the hospice and McMillan Nurses.

She said: “So, I thought now it was payback time.

“It was a brilliant experience. It was hard very work, but I enjoyed it because I am not afraid of heights.

“The biggest problem was that I could not get my shoes to stay on the rocks because they were wet and slippery, so I bounced a bit.”