THREE women confronted their fear of heights yesterday and raised hundreds of pounds for breast cancer research.Bella Aldred, Louise Palin and Edna Clarke were lifted by crane 70ft above the Suffolk countryside at Westhall, near Halesworth - watched by relatives, friends and local residents.

By David Green

THREE women confronted their fear of heights yesterday and raised hundreds of pounds for breast cancer research.

Bella Aldred, Louise Palin and Edna Clarke were lifted by crane 70ft above the Suffolk countryside at Westhall, near Halesworth - watched by relatives, friends and local residents.

Mrs Aldred, 57, landlady of the village pub, The Race Horse Inn , said nervously before being lifted into the air: “It seemed a very good idea at the time we planned it - to raise the maximum amount of money by confronting something we are all afraid of.

“I've been alright about it up until today but I must admit I'm nervous now.”

Part of the tension was caused by the news that the three could not be lifted together - for safety reasons.

However, Mrs Aldred and her two friends went up singly, in the company of a safety officer, and found the experience “weird but wonderful”.

“The view was fabulous. It was brilliant,” she said.

All three were dressed in pink and assumed the names of “sweets” for the lift-up. Mrs Aldred was Coco Nut Ice, Mrs Palin was Candice Ice and Mrs Clarke was Marsha Mallow.

All three women knew victims of breast cancer and a friend of Mrs Palin's had only recently been diagnosed.

Both Mrs Palin and Mrs Clarke are in their 60s and Mrs Aldred said: “We're all old enough to know better than do stunts like this.”

Yesterday's event is thought to have raised between £600 and £700 for breast cancer research.

The crane was provided free by Tobin Plant, of Holton, while Southwold brewer, Adnams, supplied bottles of “fizz” for the raffle prizes.