Three East Kent staff off on an African adventure this week

A trio of adventurers from Kent Police fly to Africa on Thursday this week in preparation for their trek up Mount Kilimanjaro.
Lorraine Weller, a tape summariser in the criminal justice unit based at Canterbury police station (centre), Det Con Chris Owen from Canterbury CID (right) and Will Baker, deputy manager at Thanet’s criminal justice unit (left) , will form part of a group of nearly 30 staff from across the Kent force taking on the seven day challenge.
The trip up the mountain starts on Saturday and they are due to reach the peak high above Tanzania, having climbed 5,895 metres (that is 19,341ft) on Thursday, 21 February, flying home a few days later with cameras full of images, and maybe the odd ache and pain, to remind them of their experiences.
All three have been in training with regular trips to the gym, fell walking and bike riding to and from work.
They can expect to be faced with a vast range of temperatures, from 40 degrees centigrade to minus 15. They will also have to deal with the possible effects on the human body of the change in altitude.
Lorraine said: “I am doing this for sheer personal achievement. On the day we climb to the summit, we start off at midnight and so will see the sun rise over Africa, which will be incredible.
“I want to do the Himalayas next year now.”