CHIPPENHAM'S Scouts have scaled the world's highest mountain, Everest, three times - without even setting foot in Nepal.

The Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, aged between six and 14, initially aimed only to climb 29,000ft, the equivalent height of the mountain, on a wooden A-frame set up in the Emery Gate centre on Saturday.

Instead the 40 boys from the 10th Chippenham Scout Group climbed 93,000ft. It meant they raised £1,000 in sponsorship to put towards repairing their Scout hut, which was badly damaged by storms last October.

Cub leader Jacqui Woodruff said the boys were only meant to climb for an hour, but they were so enthusiastic they simply carried on.

She said some of the younger Beavers climbed the six foot A-frame more than 300 times. Mrs Woodruff said: "We couldn't stop them and they really enjoyed themselves."