This is literally a life or death scenario

Team spokeswoman

His crew said he was facing "certain death" if he did not make it within eight days.

The 34-year-old, from Kenmore in Perthshire, said: "The next eight days will be like walking into the jaws of a shark."

Mr Mill set off from Canada at the end of March in his third attempt to complete the journey.

Last year he returned home after setting a new record for walking solo and unaided towards the North Pole before melting ice forced him to abandon his attempt.

Mr Mill was also on the back-up expedition that followed Sir Ranulph Fiennes in 2000 when the English explorer had to abort his attempt due to frostbite.

Mr Mill must travel 100km in eight days

The Scottish explorer fell behind schedule on his latest expedition after experiencing a number of problems, including a broken stove.

This meant that he found himself in an area which is more prone to ice break-up as the North Pole approaches the longest day of the year.

He now needs to travel about 100km using a pulk, a sledge which can be used as a small boat to cross water, to find ice which is solid enough that an aircraft can land and rescue him.

A spokeswoman from his team said: "This is literally a life or death scenario.

"If the plane doesn't reach him in the next eight days, the full moon's gravitational pull will force the ice rubble into a mountain meaning certain death for him."