A former regional daily journalist has set what is believed to be a record after climbing 1,001 mountains across the British Isles.

James Forrest, who used to work for the Worcester News, has reached the peak of 446 mountains in England and Wales, 273 in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and 282 in Scotland over the past two-and-a-half years.

It is thought the feat is the fastest completion of the 1,001 mountains, and is just the latest hill-walking record the 36-year-old has set.

In 2017 he climbed all 446 mountains over 2,000ft in England and Wales – the so-called ‘Nuttalls’ – in just six months, the fastest ever time.

James, pictured, repeated the feat in 2018, bagging all 273 600m mountains in Ireland and Northern Ireland, known as the ‘Vandeleur-Lynams’, in just eight weeks, another record.

He told the News: “I feel absolutely ecstatic. It has been an epic adventure and an incredible, life-changing journey.”

James, who now works as a freelance adventure and travel writer, added: “My 1,001-mountain journey has been an incredibly tough challenge, both physically and mentally.

“The hardest part has been coping with Britain’s far from ideal weather – it’s funny even saying this aloud, but I think I might have climbed over 500 mountains in rain and all-encompassing cloud, with no views from the summit. I must be mad.

“But I don’t really mind. The good times have far outweighed the bad, and I’ve got a huge list of mountains I want to come back to and climb in good weather.”

He has also written a book about his challenge – Mountain Man: 446 Mountains. Six Months. One record-breaking adventure – which is published by Bloomsbury.