A FORMER Northwich Rugby Club captain has died after collapsing on Ben Nevis.

The club has paid tribute to dad-of-two Peter Charlton, 37, from Cuddington, who was club captain in 1996 and kept in regular contact.

Peter was an hour into the climb on Friday afternoon when he said he wasn't feeling well and felt dizzy.

He recovered slightly but then collapsed and never regained consciousness.

Peter had been taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge with Dave Chaplin and John Millington from Northwich Rugby Club.

His friends tried desperately to revive Peter, who was extremely fit - regularly playing squash and continuing to play in the veterans' team at Northwich Rugby Club.

He lived with his wife Lisa and daughters Grace, seven and Freya, four, in Moss Lane.

The Three Peaks Challenge is to climb the highest peaks in England (Scafell - 978m), Scotland (Ben Nevis - 1,344m) and Wales (Snowdon - 1,085m) in 24 hours.

Sam Naylor, from Northwich Rugby Club, paid tribute to Peter.

He said: "This is a real body shock to Northwich Rugby Club. The club is devastated.

"Peter was an excellent player on the pitch, very tenacious with good leadership.

"Off the pitch he was a lovely gentleman who would always find the time for a chat.

"He played a lot of squash at Moss Farm and there were no concerns about his fitness."

Sam added: "It is just a tragic, tragic loss."

This has been a double blow for the club after the death of PC Tony Heaton in a road accident last week.