Firefighter to climb Ben Nevis in full uniform in memory of South Shields couple Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry

Former police officer, Aaron Lee, of Rochdale, Manchester, was one of the first responders on the scene the night of the terror attack on May 22, 2017.

Since then the 34-year-old has gotten to know the families and previously completed 22 races in honour of each of the 22 victims.

Last year he founded the Hive 22 Running Club, dedicated to keeping their memory alive and it already has more than 2,000 members worldwide.

Now Aaron is set to climb Ben Nevis wearing his full firefighter uniform in aid of the charities set up by the families of the victims, including the Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust.

“I’ve built relationships with the families, they have become good friends,” he said.

“I felt a bit lost when all the races came to an end. Alongside the running club I wanted a challenge for me personally, something that will push me to my limits.”

On July 23 Aaron will set off on the 1,345m climb up the UK’s highest peak, which he hopes to complete in around 12 hours, while carrying 30kg of uniform and breathing equipment.

“I think I underestimated it a little bit,” continued Aaron who will be training hard over the coming months.

“The set is really heavy, you shouldn’t really wear it for long periods of time. I’m a little bit apprehensive, but the charities that have been set up are doing such amazing things and we want to keep raising more for them.”

He added: “I’m just doing my bit to keep the awareness there and make sure the victims are never forgotten.

“Things tend to fade into the background, but in the position I’m in I see that it’s still very real to the families.”

A spokesperson for the Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust said: “We are very proud of Aaron, he has already done so many amazing things to support all of the families and the charities set up.”

You can donate to Aaron here