CARING schoolboy and self confessed chocaholic Ashton Wren has spent the past year denying himself his favourite food to raise money for Parkinson's UK.

The ten year-old decided to boycott chocolate in all its forms, even his beloved cocoa, to support a favourite teaching assistant at Brompton Primary School, near Northallerton. Leah Forster was diagnosed with Parkinson's at 42, five years ago and has raised over £28,000 for the research charity since then.

So Ashton decided he would have to give up something he really loves to encourage people to donate money through justgiving. "When I heard Mrs Forster’s story at school, I decided I wanted to help her raise money to support people suffering with this horrible disease. She has raised such a huge amount for Parkinson’s herself, she really is amazing.

"I started to think about things I could do to raise some money and asked my Mum if I could give up chocolate for a year, knowing how much I love chocolate she looked at me and laughed ‘Son, you wouldn’t last a day’ she said and so that is when my challenge started, Monday 3rd September 2018," said Ashton.

Now he has just over a week to go and has raised over £260 and he admits he can't wait, the family are already planning a chocolate party with a chocolate fountain.

Mrs Forster said: "I am just bowled over, he is such a lovely lad, his thoughtfulness and kindness has really touched me it's amazing. We even saw him picking the chocolate off a choc ice so he didn't break his promise. For someone so young to be so dedicated it's astonishing."

Ashton has had his own health issues after suffering from a congenital disease which meant he had to have six operations leading to the loss of some of his hearing.

"I think that is why he is such a sympathetic and caring youngster," added Leah.

Contributions can be made up to September 3 at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ash-no-choc?utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_content=Ash-no-choc&utm