A DAREDEVIL who is 100 miles an hour quicker than F1 champion Michael Schumacher, is the new world champion.

Mark Calland, who lives in Lowton but grew up in Atherton, is also the first person to have gone unbeaten through a season of speed skydiving competitions.

Forty-one-year-old Mark has just returned from Boston, USA, where he became the undefeated world champion.

He broke his own UK best earlier this summer by freefalling at 302 mph, but hopes to smash this record, after reaching 329 mph in practice.

He said: "I want to break every world record and then sit back and say I've done it all."

Mark, who lives with his girlfriend, Sara Sanders, and son Louis, 13, started skydiving six years ago, and is indebted to Manchester University for all their help.

They designed suits and parachutes to make him more aerodynamic, and even built a wind tunnel to perfect his technique.

Mark hopes to continue as undefeated champion for another year, but then plans to retire from competitions to focus on his business, MSC Installations, fire curtain specialists.

He admits he'll never leave the sport altogether though.

He said: "Once you get it into your system, you can't get it out. I'll probably always be involved in skydiving, even if I'm not competing.

"I know what it's like to be Michael Schumacher now, except I can move 100 mph faster than his car can!"

A National Geographic documentary film about Mark's exploits, which has been broadcast in the USA, is expected to be shown soon in Britain.