Boy, 10, in 480km 'Windsor to Paris' triathlon challenge

Joshua prefers swimming to running but has endured some chilly temperatures

A 10-year-old boy is running, swimming and cycling the distance from his home in Windsor to Paris for charity.

Joshua Collacott began raising money in April after seeing an advert for children's charity, the NSPCC.

He has already run 150km - equivalent to running from Windsor to Dover - and has just finished swimming 34km - the distance across the English Channel.

His final challenge is to cycle 290km - the distance from Calais to Paris - before the end of the school term.

Joshua's father Jon said the advert for the charity prompted a flurry of questions from his son about how less-fortunate children were coping during lockdown.

He initially suggested a 100km (62 miles) run, sponsored by family and friends, but became further inspired by David Walliams' Thames and Channel swimming challenges.

Mr Collacott said: "He's not a runner so we tried to do something that would be a challenge. He much prefers swimming and belongs to a swimming club."

He said his son had been swimming between 1.5km (0.93 miles) and 2.5km (1.55 miles) in open water, without a wetsuit, three times a week - mainly in Bray lake, but also in the sea near Merseyside, during a trip to visit his grandmother.

Joshua (centre) was joined by his father, Jon Collacott (right) and grandmother Katharine Bradley (left) for part of the challenge

Mr Collacott, who has been accompanying Joshua, said: "On one of his swims, even his Nana joined him for a mile so we had three generations all together which was a great experience but very chilly.

"It's fair to say some mornings have been harder than others. He's not been leaping out of bed every day but seeing the money raised and getting a 'like' from David Walliams on his Facebook page has spurred him on."

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Joshua is already well into his cycling challenge, which regularly takes him past his school - St John's Beaumont in Old Windsor - and through Windsor Great Park.

He has so far raised more than £1,200 through his Just Giving page for the NSPCC.