Double amputee Paul Ellis crawls to the top of UK’s highest mountain Ben Nevis

While everyone else relaxed over Easter, adventurous Paul Ellis, 57, had other ideas.

The dad-of-two from Widnes, conquered Ben Nevis after donning knee pads to ascend the highest mountain in the UK in support of a charity for amputee children.

He had climbed the mountain wearing prosthetics last year but, this time, wanted to take on an even greater challenge - to show how tough amputees are.

The gruelling challenge left him “very very sore”, he said - but he was “made up” he managed to complete it and raised £5,000 in the process.

Paul said: “It was a very hard challenge which left my knees and back very sore. But I made the decision to crawl because I wanted to get people’s attention.

“It was gruelling and at times it was quite emotional, but I just kept going. I was made up when I completed the challenge and to help raise funds to give amputee children the holiday of a lifetime.”

Paul, who is not currently working, had a double below-the-knee amputation in 2008.

He had a fall in 1992 which had left his legs paralysed and a further break to his leg in 2007 left him facing amputation.

Following the surgery, Paul, dad to Rebecca, 16, and Rosie, 14, used a wheelchair or walked on prosthetic legs.

He became friends last year with Ben Lovell, who is the founder of Amp Camp, a charity which provides holidays for amputees.

Over the years Paul began completing challenges to support the charity, including climbing Ben Nevis and Snowdon on his prosthetic legs several times with their team.

Last year, Paul himself was able to access the services from the charity and went on holiday to Tenerife which he said was “out of this world”.

But this year he opted for his greatest challenge yet - ditching the prosthetics and crawling to the summit of Ben Nevis on stumps.

He said: “I knew it would be very hard. I had walked it before so I made the choice to crawl.

“I wanted to make get people’s attention and show what amputees can do.”

He set up a GoFundMe to support the challenge and people began donating in their hundreds.

On Saturday, as everyone sat back to enjoy the good weather over the Easter bank holiday, Paul began his mission with his 30-strong team.

It was a 12-hour crawl to the summit, which is 1,345 metres above sea level.

They camped at the top before Paul popped his prosthetics legs back on to climb back down.

He said: “When I got to the top, I could have cried my eyes out. It was such an amazing feeling.”

Paul said the following trek back down with his prosthetics was “more painful” than the way up due to sore muscles from the day before.

But when he got back down to the bottom the following day, he described the emotional moment.

He said: “Seeing my family again was fantastic. There were lots of big hugs.”

The adventurous amputee has no plans to stop his missions - because he “believes in” Ben’s amazing charity, Amp Camp.

He said: “When I went to Amp Camp it was out of this world. I had never even been in the sea before!

“I know it’s an amazing charity because I know what they do. I have done it myself and I want to raise awareness.”