A schoolboy has gone to great lengths to raise money for research into the cancer that killed his beloved grandad.

Jacob McGowan swam a whopping 6,000 metres in memory of ex-soldier Paul White who died aged 60 after being diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour.

The 10-year-old Wainscott Primary School pupil decided to take up the challenge after his grandfather passed away last May, just 10 months after diagnosis.

And his amazing effort throughout last month in the pool at Hoo Sports Centre has raised more than £1,000 for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

Mum Kay said: “Jacob and Paul had always been kindred spirits because of their love of sport.

“Paul was a larger-than-life character. He was ex-Army and a big guy with a big voice.

“I used to find him a bit daunting when I first met him, but he was a big softie with his grandkids.

“He would champion the kids and was full of praise and encouragement. I think that’s partly what spurred Jacob on, their shared love of sport and knowing how proud Paul would be of him.”

Paul, a director of health and safety, was told he had a glioblastoma in July 2022 after suffering migraines, impaired speech and a loss of sight in one eye, which resulted in him driving into a central reservation.

He underwent surgery followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy but sadly his tumour continued to grow.

Ultimately, he opted for quality of life and decided not to pursue further treatment.

By April, his physical decline was such that he could not walk steadily and he died the following month.

Kay, 38, speaking from the family home in Wainscott, said: “Considering how full of life he’s led with him being in the Army and all the travel experiences he’s had, seeing Paul lose his independence was incredibly sad.”

He had much to live for, including his daughter’s forthcoming marriage, but gradually he had to give up driving and his job and relied on full-time help.

The mum-of-two sons added: “Jacob’s challenge was born out of his need to channel his grief into something positive.

“After losing Paul, he struggled with feeling up and down, angry and upset, but the peacefulness and focus of being in the water helped.

“He’s always been our water baby. After completing his Swim England stage seven award last year, he moved on to swimming lengths and then decided he wanted to join a lifesaving club.

“It was only after my husband saw how many lengths he was doing and started counting that Jacob began pushing to go further.

“It would be great to get to the stage where brain cancer is more treatable and we can prevent people from missing out on the future they should be able to enjoy.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research said sadly Paul’s story was not unique.

He said: “Brain tumours kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer, more women under 35 than breast cancer and more children than leukaemia.

“Yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.”

To support Jacob’s fundraising, click here.

At the time of writing, he had raised £1,070.