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An enterprising British expat is hoping to cash in by selling jars of fresh mountain air - for £200 a bottle.

John Green, 64, captures the air high up in the pristine Swiss Alps and is planning to ship bottles to buyers who live in smog-filled cities around the world.

John, an IT consultant originally from London, said the air is from a "secret" location at an altitude of 10,000ft, and is the "ultimate present for the man or woman that has everything".

It may seem like a silly idea but there is a demand for bottled "fresh air" in polluted countries such as China, where the wealthy spend thousands of pounds for just a few seconds of relief.

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John, who lives in Basel, insists that the sealed bottles contain "genuine mountain air" from an Alpine country that has the "best air in the world".

He said: "I actually go 3,000 metres (10,000ft) up to fetch it. I don't go into a car park to get it, honest.

"I have lived here for 20 years, and the Swiss don't know what they've got. The air really is something special.

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"When I go up the mountains I really do feel better, I am not imagining it. I seriously feel almost reborn."

The air from the Zermatt region comes in three sizes - £200 for a jeroboam (three litres), £135 for a magnum (one litre) and £78 for a pint.

John moved from Tunbridge Wells to Basel 20 years ago, mainly because of the skiing and the healthy lifestyle.

He said: "I haven't sold any of the air yet as the company was only launched at the weekend, but the Swiss and German media has gone mad about it.

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"A lot of them think I am nuts, but in a nice sort of way."

The air comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and the GPS coordinates of exactly where it was collected.

On a promotional video on the website, he says: "If you're sitting in some polluted town, which you probably are, gasping with diesel fumes, we're at 3,000 metres, and we've just got new supplies of mountain air...so get yours."

By feeding the GPS coordinates into Google maps the buyer can view the exact location.

John said: "Only purchasers will know where their jar of air was collected. We keep the extraction location a secret to protect supplies.

"All I can say is it is collected near a babbling mountain stream, fed by melt water from a famous glacier, near a very famous mountain."

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He recommends chilling the air in the freezer for full effect before flicking the latch open.

John, who also runs a wellness advice website, said: "There's a quick 'pfsst' and you can take a breath of genuine mountain air from Switzerland.

"But you don't have to open it. You can just keep it as a collectors item or to remind you of the good life and open at a later date or celebration."

His website states: "You have had high calorie Swiss cheese, you've surely had high calorie Swiss chocloate [sic], now experience zero calorie Swiss air!"

John has promised to donate 25 per cent of the proceeds from sales to the World Vision Clean Water Initiative in Africa.

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His girlfriend Sabina, 46, is a supporter and got him interested.

He said: "She thinks the idea is hilarious. The air makes a fun gift for birthdays

and you know and you know your money is going to a good cause.

"If sales take off I will send even more. I just really want to cover my costs.

"Hopefully with the interest across Europe things are looking up."

He added: "Of course, people won't feel better by opening the jar and sniffing it, but it is an attractive bottle and a nice thing to have, and will make you feel better about yourself.