Daredevil dad David Theobald jumped into a tank of sharks to help fund laptops for autistic and special needs children.

The former independent councillor for St Helier ward was joined by his friend David Price for the stunt at the Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port.

The pair dived with tiger sharks, whose mouths are full of razor-sharp teeth, nurse sharks, stingrays and eels.

Mr Theobald’s son George suffers from autism and the pair are raising funds to buy specialised laptops for the disabled children of the borough.

They have already raised more than £1,000 for the computers, which cost about £300 each, and can withstand “anything a child can throw at it”.

Mr Theobald said: “Particularly with the austistic and mentally handicapped, computers can provide a gateway into our world as they learn so much from this equipment.

“I can vouch for this with the experience gleaned from my son.

“We hope to get the laptops into schools around the borough.”

Mr Theobald, who suffers from Crohn’s disease and has been in and out of hospital over the past few years with heart trouble, was also helped on the day by fellow former councillor David Pickles.

He said: “I had a tiger shark swim within a foot of me which was quite a feeling.

“I wasn’t nervous as, unless you move around and try to touch them, they won’t bite you.

“It was a spectacular day.”

To help email davidtheobald666@yahoo.co.uk.