A pub landlady has climbed Britain’s highest mountain in aid of her grandad who is suffering from dementia.

Mother-of-five Zara White scaled Ben Nevis, near Fort William in Scotland, overnight earlier this month, reaching the top in seven hours and 13 minutes.

Zara, who runs the Railway Bell in London Road, Dover, with her husband Billy, did it for charity Alzheimer’s Society and to raise awareness.

The 33-year-old said: “Me being a bit of a grandad’s girl I discredited it for a little while until the last few years.

“It has taken me years to accept that his condition has not just been a touch of old age forgetfulness.

'It has taken me years to accept that his condition has not just been a touch of old age forgetfulness.' - Mrs White

“I used to walk a lot with him and I wanted to do something for Alzheimer’s that meant something to me and him.”

Grandad Tony is 83 and lives with his wife Shirley who is 80 and is his full-time carer.

“He hasn’t got it as bad as some people have, we are lucky it isn’t as bad as some people at his age,” she said.

“I heard some really devastating stories when I was climbing the mountain.”

Zara has always wanted to climb Ben Nevis as she felt it represented the joint interest they both had in being outside.

She said: “Together my grandad and I would scale the surrounding hillsides when I was a child and he would guide and encourage my love of the great outdoors.”

Climbing the mountain on her own, Zara said that it wasn’t long before she paired up with another climber and they both completed the challenge together.

She said: “It was really nice that everyone was there for the same reason.

“My only hope of completing this climb was that he will know why I have done it and on my way up I can reflect on his condition and come to terms with the changes he is going through.”

A regular punter in the Railway Bell donated his walking poles to Zara before she left for Scotland, and his wife, one of her previous teachers at the Dover Grammar School for Girls, is now in a care home with dementia.

About £1,300 has been pledged in sponsorship of the climb, but donations are still welcomed until this Saturday.

Sponsorship forms are at the Railway Bell, or text ZARZ81 to 70070 to give £3.

To access Zara’s Just Giving page, visit: www.justgiving.com/zara-white33.