A WORLD-FAMOUS stuntman has made an urgent plea for sponsorship as he races against a rival daredevil to fulfil his dream of skydiving from the edge of space.

Steve Truglia, from Wanstead, who has made countless screen appearances including two Bond movies, is now looking to break a 50-year-old record for the highest ever parachute jump – from a staggering 120,000 feet (22.7 miles) – and become the first human to freefall faster than the speed of sound.

Steve is appealing for funding to help him add another world record to his collection and beat Austrian rival Felix Baumgartner, who has the backing of drinks giant Red Bull in his attempt at the same feat.

Steve, 47, said: “The idea of doing this sort of jump captured my imagination a long time ago, it's been at least 15 years in the planning.

“I've had to wait for the technology to be available as it was only built for the NASA or the military.

“Everything is primed and ready to go. I have the gondola to jump from build and paid for, I have a specialist balloon-maker on standby ready to build. Everything could be ready by this summer, I just need the investment.

“I went to Moscow to meet someone who used to make space suits for the Russian cosmonauts but left them to work in the space tourism industry, and he build me a suit – which is rather a strange thing to have hanging in your wardrobe!”

Steve has already put £100,000 of his own money into the project but still needs another £500,000 to break the record, which has stood since 1960 when Colonel Joe Kittinger of the US Air Force jumped from 102,800 feet (19.5 miles).

He said: “It may seem like a lot of money but not for the kind of PR someone could get out of it afterwards, which would probably be ten-fold.

“If a private individual were willing to put up the money then I would happily donate to charity the equivalent of their investment after the event, because once the jump takes place the profile will go through the roof.”

To donate to Steve's record attempt, visit www.spacejump.co.uk.