Scouts' hill climb for poorly cub amazing - mum

The scouts, aged eight to 14, reached the top of Pendle Hill as the sun came up

The mother of a cub scout who has a heart condition has thanked his "amazing" troop for smashing their fundraising goal to help him.

Fellow cubs and scouts from St Mary Magdalene's in Clitheroe, wanted to raise £4,000 to help 10-year-old Ashton by climbing Pendle Hill in the dark.

The money was needed for a defibrillator to be available at the church hall so that Ashton could participate.

But the children, aged eight to 14, have now raised £15,600 so have also bought a defibrillator for outside Ashton's home.

The funds have also paid for three more defibrillators to be installed around Clitheroe, as well as storage cases to two schools.

Ashton's mother Sophie said she was "overwhelmed" by the scouts' effort and she could not be "more grateful" and "thankful".

She said that when Ashton returned to scouts after his "upcoming open heart surgery", they "will give us, as a family, peace of mind if the worst happens".

Sophie said her son's medical condition meant he was "at high risk of suffering a heart attack".

Ashton, who suffered a stroke aged eight months, has hypo-plastic left heart syndrome, and has undergone three rounds of open-heart surgery along with numerous minor operations.

Ashton has managed to stay in the scouts thanks to his friends

Two veteran mountaineers helped the 18 cubs, 13 scouts and 14 adults to reach the summit, on 22 April last year.

The expedition was named "A Taste of Kilimanjaro".

Pendle Hill stands at 1,830ft (557m) and the area is famous for the 1612 Pendle witch trial.