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

A six-year-old boy has nearly climbed the equivalent height of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of a charity supporting those with spinal injuries.

Cian Paton, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, has completed 5,300m (17,389ft) of Kilimanjaro's 5,895m (19,340ft).

He has amounted the distance by tackling the UK's highest peaks.

His father, Christopher Paton, said: "The response that people give Cian as we're going along, it's heart-warming to see."

Cian, who has raised more than £700 for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), plans to finish the challenge on 1 May when he will take on the 885m (2,906ft) of Pen-y-Fan in Wales.

Mr 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."

Often joined by his mum, Susan, and four-year-old brother, Ronan, Cian has already taken on six UK peaks, including Snowdon and Fairy Castle in Dublin - but he said his favourites have been Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach in north Wales because of "all the rocks you can climb up".

"When I did the Glyders, there was snow up there, it was so cold," he said.

"It was actually quite hard, but it was my favourite."

Mr Paton said Cian is even eyeing up a record, with a long-term goal of becoming an explorer when he grows up.

"We looked at the three peaks (challenge) and the youngest person to do that is seven," he explained.

"Cian said, 'Oh, we could get it done while I'm six.'"

Cian was inspired to take on the challenge by his father who is scaling the real Mount Kilimanjaro in support of Manchester Arena bombing survivor Martin Hibbert - a cause which has already surpassed more than £410,000 in donations for the SIA.

Mr Paton, who is a spinal nurse, has teamed up with a group of 11 others in a bid to raise £1m for the charity.

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.

Mr Paton said: "I explained to Cian that other people don't get to do this - there's people who have problems in their lives that stop them being able to do this stuff.

"That was, I think, what spurred him on."

The youngster aims to raise £2,500 through Cian's Climb, which will go towards the Martin's Mountain fund for the SIA.

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