Professional boxer Nick Blackwell had a taste of the high life on Tuesday morning when he helped training partner and sponsor Paul Silk to put the new flagpole on the roof of Devizes Town Hall.

Mr Blackwell, 22, of Trowbridge, is in training for a British middleweight title contest in London next month and has been helping out Mr Silk of Wiltshire Steeplejacks as part of his training regime.

He said: “I have known Paul for years. He wanted to lose a bit of weight so I took him out training with me and he asked me to help him out on a job or two.

“The town hall job was fine, but very cold. I have no problem with heights.

“I worked with Paul on removing a tree from a tall chimney in Melksham last month and that was ridiculously high.”

The town council decided to replace its flagpole, thought to be the original put up in 1808, after the top of it snapped off during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in July.

They were delighted to have it installed in time to display the Union flag for Sunday’s Remembrance Day parade.