A SOLDIER blinded by a Taliban bomb in Afghanistan has raised more than £2,500 for charity by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Rifleman Paul Jacobs, aged 22, from 2nd Battalion The Rifles, was awarded the George Medal for bravery.

He now lives in Stourbridge with his fiancee, who he met when she cared for him in Selly Oak hospital.

Paul has set himself a target of raising £8,000 for St Dunstan’s, a charity which helps blind and partially-sighted ex-servicemen and woman live independently.

His tough climb up Kilimanjaro saw him complete the last section crawling on his hands and knees due to tiredness and lack of oxygen.

He said: “St Dunstan’s has been a lifeline for me. This is my way of giving them something back. Knowing that money raised from my challenge will help to transform the lives of others got me to the top of the mountain.”

Paul is originally from London but relocated to Stourbridge to be with his fiancee Louise Smith, aged 24, who he met when she was his carer at the military hospital in Selly Oak. They are due to marry next month.