An intrepid eight-year-old with cerebral palsy powered up Snaefell to place a Manx flag at the summit - and smashed his charity fund-raising target.

Now there’s even talk that Dylan Walton, who has raised more than £17,400 for Rebecca House, should be nominated for a Tynwald honour.

Mum Lisa said: ’We thought it was going to take quite a while to get to the top - a couple of hours or so.

’He started at 10.30am at the Bungalow and he absolutely powered through. We kept telling him to have a rest, to have a snack. But he just kept going.

’He was at the summit by 11.50am. He was buzzing. We are just so proud of him.’

Dylan, who attends Rebecca House children’s hospice for respite care, has periventricular leucomalacia which means he has conditions such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

He recently had selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery to help ease the pain in his legs and reduce the spasticity in his calves.

Inspired by Tobias Weller, a nine-year-old with cerebral palsy who completed a walking frame marathon near his home in Sheffield, Dylan decided to take on the challenge of climbing the island’s highest peak.

He did the equivalent of the first 414m by walking around the NSC unaided, before setting off from the Bungalow to complete the remaining 206m.

Dylan smashed his fund-raising target, reaching £17,485 with more money still coming in.

Lisa said: ’I can’t believe it. We set out to raise £1,000 to buy some toys for Rebecca House and when he smashed that target, we put it up to £5,000. And now this - it’s just crazy.’

There is even talk on social media that he should be nominated for a Tynwald honour.

Dylan was accompanied on his summit challenge by mum Lisa, dad Jack, nan and grandad Michelle and Johnny as well as members of the Civil Defence.

Hospice chief executive Anne Mills put on her hiking boots to support the young fundraiser every step of the way.

The family had originally hoped Dylan and his supporters would be able to come back down off the mountain by tram.

But with no trams running he got a piggy-back all the way down off his grandad instead!

’I don’t think I could have done that,’ said Lisa.

’He’s not the lightest of children!’

She said they had asked Isle of Man Transport to lay on a special tram so that Dylan’s family would be able to greet him at the summit but were told that was not possible.

Lisa said Dylan is none the worse for his summit challenge. ’You know what? He’s absolutely brilliant, he’s not sore at all.’