School martyr Steve Jones is taking fundraising events into uncharted waters with the most dangerous sponsorship drive yet.

The south Wales school site manager is diving with sharks at the UK's largest aquarium to raise money for a new class minibus.

Staff and pupils from Coedylan Comprehensive in Pontypridd, are supporting Mr Jones in a makeshift Caribbean reef at Cheshire's Ellesmere Port, where he is rubbing shoulders with stingrays and sand tigers for an hour.

Steve is a modern-day hero - he's got enormous reserves of energy

Headmaster Phil Raybould

But he says it is the first of a series of death-defying events planned to hike the cash on behalf of the local parent-teacher association.

"I've never done any scuba diving or anything or the sort, to be honest," he said before leaving for training.

"We are aiming to buy a new minibus and there are a few more events coming up - this is just the start, because I would raise to any challenge for the staff and the pupils."

'Heroic worker'

Mr Jones, who doubles up as health and safety manager, will be observed from a 71m see-through tunnel, from which fans can talk with him using underwater communications.

He left south Wales for one of Europe's biggest aquaria on Tuesday morning, wearing a t-shirt reading 'Steve the Shark Tamer.'

Blue Planet Aquarium residents

Sand tigers Lemon sharks Stingrays Jacks Grunts Snappers

With him, went a video camera, several hopeful pupils and the admiration of the whole school, which has come to expect annual windfalls of up to �5,000 through his fundraising antics.

"Steve is just a very special man," head teacher Phil Raybould told BBC News Online.

"He's got enormous reserves of energy and does the job of two people for us. He is a good egg.

"He wanted to do something that would capture the imagination. If every pupil gives 50p and each member of staff �5, we will have well over �1,000 already."

Fundraising drive

But replacing Coedylan's creaking, 10-year-old minibus could cost up to �20,000 and the shark dive is just one episode in a series of year-round stunts.

Last month, a community barn dance fundraiser to finance lockers for some of the 900-plus pupils was called off due to inclement Welsh weather, however.

The latest event was planned as a parachute jump, but was re-arranged when he broke a weight regulation, leaving a wetsuit the preferred option.

"We always make thousands of pounds every year through Steve," added Mr Raybould.

"We regard the money as additions to the core budget.

"We just hope we see him alive tomorrow."