A plan to take a disabled boy from Deal on a dream day out to Silverstone started when a carpet fitter saw the Formula 1 posters on his bedroom wall.

Mark Mascall of Mascall’s Carpet and Flooring Specialists in Honeywood Parkway, Whitfield, was laying new carpet in Jenny Edgett’s home in Hyton Drive, Deal, when he met her son Ben for the first time.

Mr Mascall said: “Me being a Formula 1 fan, I noticed that Ben had posters on his bedroom walls.”

Ben, 18, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is in a powered wheelchair.

Mr Mascall said: “I found out that his dad had always promised to take him when he was 18 and then Ben’s mum told me that his dad had died the previous year.”

With Ben’s big birthday fast approaching, Mr Mascall asked Mrs Edgett if she would mind if he organised to take her son to British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday, July 5.

With his own sons being of a similar age and being able to do many things including driving - something that Ben will unfortunately never be able to do – Mr Mascall felt compelled to carry out the kind gesture.

Mrs Edgett agreed. She said: “We didn’t tell Ben until his birthday.

“He got a card saying ‘Happy Birthday Ben. See you on race day!’

“I told him and he sat and looked at me with his mouth open.”

Along with his employees, Mr Mascall raised the money through a 300km sponsored cycle – the same distance of a grand prix.

Five of them took part, each covering 40 miles each in under three hours.

The sponsors they received paid for Ben’s, his mum’s and his carer’s ticket as well as the fee for hiring a mini bus. Any left over cash was given to Ben to spend on the day.

Mark, his wife Toni, mother-in-law Karen and employee Shaun also went along but paid for themselves.

British driver Lewis Hamilton won the race, much to Ben’s delight as he had bought plenty of Hamilton merchandise including a hat, shirt and umbrella.

Mrs Edgett said: “He really enjoyed himself. He said thank you several times. We are both just thankful to the people who organised it. It was a once in a life time thing. He won’t be able to do it again.”

Mr Mascall said: “It was a really nice day out. Just watching the smile on Ben’s face, it was definitely worth it.

“I’d like to say thanks to all the people that donated.”