A parachute jump has raised more than £2,200 for charity in memory of a Lady Lumley’s pupil. 

Chris Nichols undertook the daredevil jump in tribute to Mike Scott, a sports-mad 17-year-old who died suddenly from an undetected heart condition on December 28, 1997. 

Father-of-three Mr Nichols, 37, said he took on the jump because of Mike’s parents – Marjorie and Allan. 

He said: “I was working part-time at Fitness 2000 in Pickering when Allan and Marge came down for a fitness programme.  They brought down some postcards which had pictures of eight young people who had died from a cardiac problem and I found out that one of them was their son, Mike.” 

Mr Nichols, of Sherbrooke Close, Kirkbymoorside, donated the money to CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young – a charity whose aim is to raise awareness of heart problems in young people. 

He said the CRY website struck a chord with him because he has three daughters – Amy, 10, Lucie, four, and two-year-old Leah. 

He booked a parachute jump with the charity, raised the money and took the plunge.  He said: “It was amazing.  The guy I went with was the British Sky Sports Champion.  He talked to me on the way down and handed me the controls. 

“What made it all worthwhile was raising a good amount of money.” 

Mike’s parents, who watched the parachute jump along Chris’s partner Sarah, said that Chris had been absolutely “brilliant”. 

Mrs Scott said: “Chris is an exceptional young man who worked hard to raise the money and gave us very good support.” 

She thanked everyone who helped to raise money and sad that parents should take steps if they have an undetected heart condition. 

She said: “If a parent has any concerns at all go to their doctor or give CRY a ring.  They are very good and very supportive.”