A BLIND diver set a world record in Egypt after he descended 103 metres to the bottom of the sea.

Mark Threadgold, 38, from Saltdean, was due to make the world's first blind 100-metre dive at the Blue Hole, Dahab, but he added an extra three metres just to make sure.

The former diving instructor has kept his passion for water sports despite losing his sight following a serious head injury while serving in the Army seven years ago Mr Threadgold's world record on Thursday was his way of proving that disability is not always a barrier if you set your mind to something.

He said: "The dive ran like a dream. It was perfect. We ended up running 110 minutes from surface to surface. It was a bit strange coming out of the water. Everyone was shouting and cheering but I just wanted to get my kit off and sit down.

"When I woke up the next morning, I thought, I've done it'. It has settled in now and it feels good. By getting through the night we know no one has got any residual decompression illness problems and now we can celebrate properly."

The idea for the dive came from a drunken conversation in an Indian restaurant between three diver friends, Paul Johnson, Sally Cartwright and Mark Elliott. They phoned Mr Threadgold the next day.

Mr Threadgold spent the week leading up to the dive preparing at Neilson Active Holidays' new Dahab resort and will fly back to England on Monday.

He already holds three speed records: for a blind person circumnavigating the Isle of Wight in an inflatable boat, a blind person in a powerboat and a blind boat driver towing a blind waterskier.

His latest record is also the deepest closed-circuit rebreather (CCR) dive for a blind person.

Divers exhale most of their usable gas when using open-circuit scuba equipment but CCR divers rebreathe their gas by using their bodies as part of a closed loop that is automatically topped up with oxygen to give the most appropriate mix for the depth.

The records aim to raise awareness of St Dunstan's, a national charity that supports ex-servicemen and women blinded due to war, age, accident or illness.

The charity's national centre is on the cliffs at Ovingdean, near Brighton.

Mr Threadgold said: "It proves disability is not the thing that stops you doing something. With the right help from the right people and the right team, anything is achievable."

Neilson Active Holidays, based in Brighton Marina, sponsored the trip, providing Mr Threadgold and his team with free travel and accommodation at its centre in Dahab.