A plucky little lad who overcame severe disability to complete a Captain Tom-style walking challenge to raise money for the NHS during lockdown has died.

Nine-year-old Wilber Turpin captured the hearts of all around him when he took to the streets with his frame to pace 10 miles in 10 days.

Neighbours in Chatham rallied to cheer and clap Wilber as he raised £6,000, smashing his expected target of £500.

Diagnosed with a rare chromosome abnormality, which had a major impact on his life, including his mobility, he took four days to complete the mission.

His close-knit family had followed Captain Tom Moore, who was later knighted for his gallant efforts, as he walked lengths of his garden, raising £32 million in the run-up to his 100th birthday.

His remarkable achievement was watched closely by them at their home in Purbeck Road as Wilber's granddad once worked with the former British Army officer.

Mum Elizabeth said lockdown meant Wilber could not attend Abbey Court special school in Strood where he enjoyed a range of activities.

They could not even get exercise on shopping expeditions to their nearest supermarket.

Elizabeth, who along with husband Rupert are Medway councillors, said: "Wilber still needed his exercise, so we started to walk along our road, half a mile in the morning and half a mile in the afternoon, and thought why not put it to good use and raise money at the same time?

"It was difficult for him because of the bumpy pavement but it gave him a great sense of achievement.

"As soon as he got on to his walker he was beaming. And he loved all the attention."

Wilber was diagnosed with Chromosome 6 abnormality, which left him partially-sighted, non-verbal, small in stature and with hearing loss.

But it was chronic kidney failure which finally caused his premature death on December 10.

Elizabeth said: "He deteriorated quickly in the end. We did not think he would make it to Christmas so we held a party for his ninth birthday in November. It was in a church hall and open invitation."

Wilber died at Demelza children's hospice in Bobbing, near Sittingbourne, where he had spent his final few months, his family by his side .

Despite his disabilities, Wilber led as full a life as possible, going to school where he loved swimming and the sensory facilities, his favourite being a vibrating toothbrush.

Elizabeth said: "Before we had Wilber we had no idea what it would be like to have a disabled, non-verbal child.

"But he was such a big personality, such a character. You knew when Wilber was in the room.

"He had a great sense of humour and was so sociable.

"Apart from his physical limitation he was healthy. He got Covid and was on a ventilator, but recovered very well.

"In his last days he was asleep most of the time but when he was awake he was full of life.

"He has left such a big gap in our lives but we have fond memories."

At the funeral at St Justus Church in Rochester, mourners helped to donate more than £2,000 for the hospice to show gratitude for the care Wilber received.

Fittingly, among the floral tributes was a giant toothbrush, a gesture of how his parents and their other children, Zebedee, 18, Barnabas, 15, and Alexa, 13, like to remember "cheeky chappy" Wilber.