A man from St Albans has helped raised more than £20,000 for a children’s charity by skydiving 13,000ft dressed as an Oompa Loompa.

Richard Piper took part in the charity skydive on Saturday to raise money for Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity.

Mr Piper, who is chief executive of the charity, was one of forty daredevils dressed as Oompa Loompas to take the 13,000ft (3,960m) dive in Peterborough.

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity helps seriously ill and disabled children who have the biggest needs – whether they have a serious rare condition, are living in poverty, or not have any family at all.

Mr Piper, who had never skydived before, said: “The skydive was absolutely amazing – it was surreal. I didn’t massively want to do it but the money raised is phenomenal.”

The 42-year-old who lives in Sandridge Road added: “Being surrounded by fellow Oompa Loompa’s was great. The level of support was amazing.

“I think we really captured people’s imaginations.”

The charity, which is based at Great Missenden, said it cost about £50,000 to provide each of its 50 nurses to hospitals across the UK.

The £20,000 raised so far will help the charity fund a Roald Dahl nurse for six months.

Eve Robinson, the charity's head of fundraising and marketing, said: "It was an absolutely marvellous event and it should raise the profile of what is a small, growing charity.

"We aim to provide specialist paediatric nurses to work in hospitals working with children with rare conditions where there are gaps in the NHS.

"The idea came about because it's 50 years since Charlie & The Chocolate Factory was published and everybody loves Oompa-Loompas."

For more information on the charity visit: www.roalddahlcharity.org