AN ILTON 10-year-old has raised more than £2,500 to buy a hot tub for her friend with a progressive muscle disease.

Molly Harris, from Ilton, raised the money for her friend Joel A'court, 12, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

DMD is an inherited progressive disorder and people with it have a life expectancy of 25.

Jemma Harris, Molly's mum, said: "She has has raised more than £2,500 but we have now been kindly donated a hot tub by a company in Devon.

"We would like to thank everyone for all their support helping to help make this wish come true. We also owe the company for their huge kindness and generosity. We used all the money raised to buy a hoist and log cabin to go over it so he can use it all year round.

"We've been truly blessed by people in the community and have a long thank you list."

Last January, Molly nominated her best friend Joel, who both attend Swanmead School, to appear on ITV's Surprise Surprise.

Even though she got further through a number of interviews, they didn't make it onto the show.

After Joel told Molly that he wanted a hot tub, she told him they were too expensive, and then once he had left, told Jemma she wanted to buy him one.

Jemma added: "Lloyd Burden of Hydropool got in touch to say he would like to help us. This was even more heart-warming than the support of our friends, now strangers were offering help.

"After lots of other fundraising, coffee mornings, table top sales, and collections we reached a total of £2788.70, which we have used to buy a hoist for Joel and a lovely log cabin to surround his hot tub after kindly been offered it free of charge from Hydropool.

"So many people have supported us and we would love to thank them all so very much for being part of such an amazing thing.

"We have been truly blessed by people donating and helping us in anyway they can. We really can’t thank people enough for being right behind us and making this happen."

Lloyd Burden of Hydropool, and Michael Harrison-Hastings and his team at Hydropool Devon, together funded and fit the hot tub for Joel.

ASM electrical supplied materials and did the electrical work free of charge, St Peter's Church in Ilton donated their Christmas collection to the cause, and haulage driver Richard delivered the tub for free.