A NEWPORT father and daughter displayed nerves of steel when they became the first people ever to abseil off the Transporter Bridge yesterday.

An admiring crowd of supporters including relatives, neighbours and work colleagues, waited as 53-year-old Mike Jones and his 15-year-old daughter Amy, pictured, prepared themselves for the 164ft descent.

The pair were the first of more than 200 people who will complete the stunt over three days. More than £20,000 has been raised in aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Mr Jones, who raised £150 for Kidney Research when he abseiled off the Royal Gwent Hospital building, said: "The hardest part will be lowering myself off the edge of the platform, you've got to trust in the rope but it helps to be a nutter.

"I wanted to be the first one to do it from the Transporter Bridge, why be the second?"

Amy admitted to suffering from nerves. She said before the descent: "I'm scared, I've not abseiled before, but I'm to be doing it with my dad.

"My friends think I'm mad, my teacher announced it in school,the other day and they couldn't believe it. I'll be glad to get it over with."

Moments later, the supporters down on the ground watched breathlessly, and then broke into cheering and applause as the figure of Mike, silhouetted against the 8am sunshine, appeared on the top of the bridge and began to ease himself over the side of the platform.

He was welcomed back to solid ground by instructors and friends after making light work of the abseil.

"Brilliant, it was brilliant" he said, as he looked up to see his daughter begin her abseil.

After taking a few seconds to negotiate herself off the platform, Amy was off, only stopping halfway down to take in the view and wave to her mum, Jenn.

She said: "It was petrifying at first, just terrifying, but once I started coming down I was fine. I could hear everyone cheering and my dad yelling at me to get a move on. Everyone down on the ground looked tiny."

Nia Chadwick, Area Manager for the Trust said: "It's a fantastic event, 70 people are abseiling today and the rest over the other two days. There are 7,000 people in the UK needing bone marrow transplants and it costs £50 to put somebody on the register so you can see how crucial this money will be to us."

The other events are on June 8 and July 6. There are still 20 places available for the June 8 abseil.

If you are interested call The Anthony Nolan Trust on 01865 875757/8.