AN Iraq war veteran seriously wounded in a Basra suicide attack is to climb Pen y Fan up to nine times in one day for charity this summer.

Newport dad Neil Spencer, 34, will carry a 35lb backpack as he attempts the feat with his police officer pal Lee Umpleby on June 6.

The charity climb could amount to half the height of Mount Everest in one day.

The pair will emulate the Newport adventurer Richard Parks who ascended the Welsh mountain seven times in 24 hours before his 737 world challenge in 2010.

Neil suffered severed tendons that left him with half the use of his left hand and had post traumatic stress after the Basra bombings of April 2004, which killed 74 people and injured more than 100 others.

But the fitness fanatic who served in the First Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusilliers overcame his health problems by taking part in multiple endurance events for good causes.

He has already raised around £4,500 for charities including Help for Heroes, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, Combat Stress, Talking2Minds, and Soldiers off the Streets.

This time the dad-of-two will do his one-day challenge for the post traumatic stress charity Talking2Minds and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The charity event will be held in honour of the four-year-old cystic fibrosis sufferer from Newport Amy Smith.

Amy’s mother Louise is a close friend of his wife Selina.

Mr Spencer, of Skenfrith Mews, Duffryn, said: “I went through quite a bit of trauma with anxiety and mood swings.

“It really dropped me to my knees.

“I’ve always been fit. I needed to keep my mind occupied and do charity events.”

On the day, the two friends will complete the “Fan Dance”, a 24km march through the Brecon Beacons which includes climbing Pen y Fan twice.

They will then attempt to ascend the mountain seven more times over a 24-hour period.

The pair could be on their feet for about 30 hours.

They will not start from sea level so the charity climb will be around 500 metres each time, rather than the full 886-metre mountain height.

To support Neil’s challenge log on to virginmoneygiving.com