Monmouth fire crews joined forces with Malpas Technical Rescue Unit for an operation with a difference.

The crane that has towered over Monmouth this year was the scene of a 'dummy run' for the crews as the company working on the new building for Monmouth School offered the 32-metre high crane for just such a purpose.

As the crane is able to lift six tonnes, it only took a little effort to hoist up the 56lb dummy on its 40-metre jib and suspend it over the building site. The 'alarm' was sent out and the fire appliances made their way to the site and set about assessing how to rescue the dummy stuck 30 metres up.

The operation will stand the Monmouth crew in good stead for their next fundraising task, which will be to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest.

On 1st December, they will set up a five-metre ladder in the car park adjacent to Monnow Bridge and plan to climb the ladder about 2,200 times, roughly 72 times per hour, using a team of 20 firemen.

The money raised from this will be split between the Firefighters Charity and 'A big wish for Chase', the Monmouth girl who suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

Darren Cleaves, watch manager at Monmouth Fire Station, was grateful to Monmouth School and ISG, the construction company that is doing the work.

"It was a great opportunity for the station and the Malpas Technical Rescue Unit to use the crane for a rescue operation, this sort of chance does not come along very often and we are grateful to Monmouth School for allowing us to use the premises."

• ISG has also donated 2,000 tonnes of sub soil for the proposed mountain bike track in Monmouth.