A seven-year-old who challenged himself to hold a half hour plank to raise money for the NHS has not only smashed his fundraising target but also a possible world record.

Harley Bebbington, from Darenth, held the core strength exercise for an hour and 10 minutes, raising more than £600 for nurses and doctors who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic.

The Stone St Mary's Primary pupil streamed his challenge live on Facebook last night.

Across both Facebook and his GoFundMe page, Harley had hoped to raise £150 but saw donations soar to £657.

A plank tests core strength and involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time. Many struggle to hold one for a minute.

The world record for the longest plank by a child was 60 minutes, held by a nine-year-old Kazakh athlete. However, Harley believes he beat this by 10 minutes.

Harley's mum Louise Rumsey, 37, is a gymnastic teacher. She said: "We're so proud of him. Harley said that he wanted to do this as the NHS has worked so hard to fight Covid-19 and that is why he wanted to raise money for them.

"I don't know where his ability to plank for a long time comes from. It's not something he even practices in general."

If you would like to donate, visit Harley's NHS Plank GoFundMe page here.

Guinness World Records has been contacted.

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