A group of car enthusiasts rallied together to put on a special surprise for a young superfan.

On Saturday (February 4) around 25 colourful and modified vehicles drove along Wayfield Road in Chatham for Thomas Ridge's 12th birthday.

His mum Kerry North, of Cunningham Crescent, first had the idea at the beginning of January.

The 39-year-old posted a request on social media asking people who have "nice" cars if they would be willing to drive past their home so Thomas, who is autistic, could wave at them – "his favourite past time".

After the initial appeal, more than 40 people had been in contact with the mum-of-two, many who are petrolheads or part of car clubs.

Kerry eventually had to delete the initial post, saying she was "shocked and overwhelmed" by the volume of messages she received in the space of a few days.

On the day, spectators lined the pavement and were treated to a parade of around 25 vehicles.

The procession included a mixture of GT-Rs, BMWs, Abarths, Mercedes-Benz, Fords, convertibles, modified cars, two lorries and some motorbikes.

In a heart-warming post, the mum said: "So thankful to all the guys that turned up to wish Thomas a happy birthday today.

"So glad he got to share the experience with some friends."

She added: "It was lovely. He was given cards and a present too – a very lucky boy.

"Quite a few people said they felt quite emotional about it all.

"One of the lorry drivers was autistic himself."

Speaking previously to KentOnline, Kerry explained how Thomas loves traffic, cars and trains.

“He has carers who take him out during the week for a couple of hours, and most of the time he visits a viewing point near Cuxton that overlooks the M2 and the railway line," she said.

“We also go to Stoney Lane – which has a bridge over the motorway – to wave at trucks and they beep back at us.

“He would do that all the time if he could.”

The treat came after what has been described as a "hell of a year" for Thomas – mostly down to being without a school since the end of June.

"He’s been in SEN schools all his life," Kerry explained. "But his last school said that they would no longer be able to meet his needs.

“It’s sadly very common and hard for any child – he needs structure and one-on-one support."

Kerry thanked all those who took part at the weekend, including enthusiasts from the True Performance and Abarth Owners Clubs, scrap metal merchants Robert Beck and Sons and Osmonds Transport, as well as the individuals who turned up to make Thomas' day special.