Boy, 6, climbs height of Kilimanjaro for spinal injuries charity

Cian was joined on the final peak by his dad, Chris, mum, Susan, and four-year-old brother, Ronan

A six-year-old boy has completed his challenge to climb the equivalent of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of a charity supporting people with spinal injuries.

Cian Paton, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, climbed the distance of Kilimanjaro's 5,895m (19,340ft) by climbing eight of the UK's highest peaks.

On Saturday he reached the summit of Pen-Y-Fan, in Wales, to complete his challenge.

Cian said: "I like the views that you can see from the top."

Cian said he loved adventure and helping people

The effort, known as Cian's Climb, had already taken on other UK peaks, including Snowdon, Fairy Castle in Dublin and Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach in north Wales.

He was inspired to do the challenge by his father who is climbing the actual Mt Kilimanjaro with Martin Hibbert, who was paralysed in the Manchester Arena bombing.

Speaking last month, Christopher Paton, 40, said: "Cian said he would hate for other people not to be able to do what he can go out and do - that's where the money raised can help support people."

Spinal nurse Mr Paton has teamed up with a group of 11 others in a bid to raise £1m for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).

The six-year-old was inspired by his father, Christopher, who is training to climb the real Mount Kilimanjaro

The campaign, Martin's Mountain, is named after Mr Hibbert, from Bolton, who sustained a paralytic spinal cord injury in the bombing in 2017.

Mr Hibbert will join Mr Paton on the seven-day trip towards the summit in early June - helped by a specially-adapted mountain trike.

"Martin is doing something which I think would put him in only four or five people have ever done in a wheelchair, so it is certainly no mean feat," Mr Paton said.

Cian has now raised more than £1,100 which will be combined with the money his father is raising.