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Comedian Al Murray 'too heavy' for parachute jump | Comedian Al Murray 'too heavy' for parachute jump |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Comedian Al Murray, who is standing for parliament in his guise as The Pub Landlord, has been forced to cancel a parachute jump because he is too heavy. | Comedian Al Murray, who is standing for parliament in his guise as The Pub Landlord, has been forced to cancel a parachute jump because he is too heavy. |
He was expected to plunge 12,000ft (3,658m) into Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent before addressing constituents. | |
"It seems that I am too heavy to jump. Yet another tragic victim of this country's obesity epidemic," he said. | "It seems that I am too heavy to jump. Yet another tragic victim of this country's obesity epidemic," he said. |
Murray is contesting the South Thanet seat where he is taking on UKIP leader Nigel Farage in the general election. | |
'Political heavyweight' | 'Political heavyweight' |
Mr Murray learned at the aerodrome that he was heavier than the 14st 7lb (92kg) limit. | |
Dressed in his trademark burgundy blazer, he said he was unaware of his weight. | |
"I'm a true British man - I neither cry nor weigh myself on scales. Those are my values," he said. | |
In a statement, Murray, whose character is based around a love for all things British, said: "My life is being held back by health and safety gone mad. | In a statement, Murray, whose character is based around a love for all things British, said: "My life is being held back by health and safety gone mad. |
"Gone are the days that a British citizen could throw themselves out of a plane regardless of the risk. | |
"I hope, however, that this settles once and for all the issue of whether I am a political heavyweight." | "I hope, however, that this settles once and for all the issue of whether I am a political heavyweight." |
He complained about being weighed on metric scales, adding they proved conclusively the "dead hand of Brussels" on the British way of life. | |
Oxford-educated Murray launched a plan in January to reach Parliament. He pledged the UK will leave Europe by 2025 "and the edge of the Solar System by 2050". | |
He promised to tackle crime by locking up all unemployed people and to stop people reaching the shores of "the greatest country in the world" by bricking up the Channel Tunnel. | |
He also promised to introduce "1p a pint" but to keep crisps at the current price. |