When Phillippa Arnell was invited to join the circus, she thought it was a good way to get out of work - but once up on the high-wire, she was having second thoughts...

Moscow State Circus had invited Phillippa, a reporter on The News, Portsmouth, to join them for the day, and with thoughts of sequins and glitter - not stunts - she accepted.

By the time she discovered there would be no fancy costumes, it was too late for her to back out.

Straight in at the deep end, Phillippa was told to climb the slim pole using tiny hand-holds, and be ready to walk the high-wire.

Once at the top she was told by an instructor to walk across, one foot in front of the other - and not to look down!

Phillippa said: "The sheer terror of falling kept me on that wire. Make no mistake, it had nothing to do with an innate sense of balance or gymnastic ability - it was fear plain and simple.

"My first two steps were cautious but firm, as if I couldn't quite believe it was real.

"A quarter of the way in and I felt cocky and pretty cool.

"But at the halfway mark my brain suddenly clicked into gear and reminded me what I was doing.

"Sure, I was strapped into a harness attached to more wires, but that didn't remove the instinctive fear of hitting the bit of Southsea Common far below me."

But gritting her teeth, Phillippa made it to the end and was greeted with a smattering of applause.

Phillippa said: "So it wasn't rocket science, saving a life or finding a cure for cancer, but I felt a sense of achievement.

"I'd even volunteer to do it again."

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