Rakesh Chauhan death: Father's charity trek in his memory

Fl Lt Rakesh Chauhan died in the crash during a routine flight, aged 29

The father of an RAF officer killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan has completed a charity trek in his memory.

Intelligence officer Flt Lt Rakesh Chauhan, 29, of Cropston, died in the incident last April.

On Saturday, his father, Kishor, led a group of 60 walkers to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.

He said they chose the 25-mile challenge because his son was "an outdoors man" and they wanted to make him proud.

The group, which has raised up to £15,000 for the Rak's Trust and the East Midlands Air Ambulance, climbed Yorkshire's Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough peaks, taking up to 12 hours.

Kishor Chauhan said his son's ambition and drive was "infectious" and so he wanted to complete the challenge doing something his son loved

Mr Chauhan, 62, said he wore his son's boots and watch for the challenge, and carried a bag that he often took on outdoor pursuits.

"His boots carried me through the difficult times; I felt he was walking with me," he said. "Rakesh would have said, 'you're mad, dad'.

"After reaching the end I thought that I have achieved something today, something I set out to do and it was very fulfilling."

Kishor Chauhan (right), pictured with his son Kesh Chauhan (left), said completing the challenge was "very fulfilling".

Flt Lt Chauhan, who was born in Birmingham, was on his third tour of Afghanistan when he was killed along with four others.

"Being in the RAF is what he wanted to do. He was our true hero," Mr Chauhan said.