British explorer's trek to escape death

A British explorer trapped near the North Pole could die unless he can complete a 100km trek across Arctic ice in eight days.

Dave Mill, who was trying to make the first solo and unaided walk to the pole, is stranded on an ice floe and no rescue plane can land on the breaking ice around him.

In a little over a week, the full moon's strong gravitational pull will transform the melting Arctic landscape, creating large mountains of ice that will make any rescue landing even more difficult.

Mill, 34, who describes himself as one of the last "true" explorers, must travel the 100km using a pulk, a sledge which can be used as a small boat, to find ice solid enough to support an aircraft.

Speaking on a satellite phone to his support team, he said: "The next eight days will be like walking into the jaws of a shark."