A Bloxham soldier battling to beat cancer is planning to live his dream by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sean Cain will make the expedition to Africa's highest mountain with the help of colleagues and a Banbury nightclub.

Sean suffers from bone and lung cancer, and a year ago doctors gave him a month to live.

But he is defying medical opinion and is still a serving soldier, although he is currently receiving chemotherapy treatment.

On Friday, 65 of Sean's colleagues from the Royal Marine Commando 40 Unit in Somerset arrived in Banbury to help Confessions nightclub raise money for the venture.

They joined a weekend of events at the South Bar club that raised £4,780, with money still coming in.

The Rev David Wylie, the Commandos' chaplain, said: "Sean is very ill, but he is still a member of the unit. The Marines are a close-knit community and they always rally round when one of their number is in trouble. Life in the Marines is very physical and the climb is something Sean wants to do to prove he still can.

"It is being organised by Cancer Research, and it is the toughest challenge they get involved in."

Sean's father, Andy, said: "Sean's latest chemotherapy treatment was delayed or he would have been here himself.

"It's great to see the unit here to support him."