Becoming a trapeze teacher was not an obvious career choice for someone with vertigo.

But Philippa Vafadari found swinging around the Big Tops of Sussex was the best way to conquer her fear of heights.

The mother of two first took hold of a trapeze bar at an evening class at the age of 30.

Now, eight years on, she teaches circus fans in Brighton the highs and lows of the trapeze experience.

Philippa said: "When people have vertigo, it is often to do with a lack of confidence. They find they lose their fear once they start on the trapeze.

"I had a bit of vertigo before I started but thankfully it's gone now."

Philippa, who lives in Kemp Town, Brighton, with her husband, David, and children Hardy, three, and Minoo, one, teaches adult trapeze classes at the Pavilion Theatre.

She also runs circus skills classes for youngsters and takes part in "aerial drama", where she acts in the air, gliding above the audience and stage.

Originally an actress, Philippa got hooked on the trapeze while living in London.

She went along to the Circus Space school in Hoxton to do Sunday evening classes with her husband.

She found the experience so enjoyable she turned it into her career when she moved to Brighton two years ago.

Philippa said: "I'd never even thought about doing any circus skills but once I started I loved it.

"I'd tried lots of yoga before so I was quite fit. I'd also done lots of rep theatre and liked the idea of trying to combine the two art forms together."

The weekly trapeze classes in Brighton cater for all levels - from the absolute beginner to the expert thrill seeker - with eight students in each class.

According to Philippa, even a total novice can expect to learn how to stand on a trapeze and do knee-hangs and swings within a few weeks.

She also helps run Short Circuit, a youth circus school for 11 to 16-year-olds held at the Pavilion Theatre on Monday evenings.

Philippa stars in the aerial drama In Audrey Hepburn's Arms, which is due to return to Brighton's Komedia in October after a tour of the UK and Germany.

For more information about future adult trapeze classes or about Short Circuit, call 01273 709709.