WAR veteran Harry Herbert literally jumped at the chance to relive the biggest parachute drop of the Second World War. He was only 20 when he was one of the British paratroopers sent on Operation Market Garden, a mission to capture Arnhem Bridge in Holland in September, 1944.

Mr Herbert, 77, from Rochester, will be defying age when he returns to the Dutch skies again this weekend in what may be the last parachute tribute to the abortive attack.

The failed operation was later turned into a famous film, A Bridge Too Far.

Mr Herbert has been jumping into Arnhem for the last seven years, ever since he was called up in 1994 to take part in a celebration of the mission's 50th anniversary.

He stressed: "We are raising money for the children's charity Barnardo's this year. We raise money for a different charity every year we jump and it's nice to be able to do that."