by Chris Hunter

The Incredible Bus Jump Boy has contacted the Kent Messenger... from inside a bus.

Since the Kent Messenger brought the attention of the world to Maidstone's answer to Spiderman, Jumping Harry - and his death-defying YouTube jump onto a moving bus at the Chequers Bus Station - has sent shock waves around the entire world.

In under 24 hours this YouTube clip of the 14-year-old daredevil attracted more than 7,000 hits and Harry became an internet phenomenon, drawing both criticism and adulation from hundreds of viewers.

But his true identity had remained unknown, until today.

The Kent Messenger can now reveal Jumping Harry is none other than Maidstone schoolboy Harry Hayes, after the sup-scamp himself phoned us.

"My friend says you're trying to contact Jumping Harry," he said, speaking from a bus somewhere in Maidstone on Friday night, "this is he."

Jumping Harry, 16, explained he had originally been reprimanded for the stunt - which he performed aged 14 -and been told to remove the video.

But having been punished for his actions, he was now pleased to be finally getting recognition for it, as he wanted to be a stuntman.

"I've been recognised in the street," he said, "it's excellent exposure.

"The police spoke to me about it 18 months ago. The legal phase is over."

The bus jump, he explained simply, was: "just something I wanted to do - if Jackie Chan can do it, why can't I?"

Earlier on Friday a friend of Jumping Harry, came forward to speak out on his behalf, and explain that he means to do no harm with his super powers.

"It's just a bit of fun, it's what he enjoys," he said, "He likes to make people happy. He wants to amaze people. There's not many people that can say they can jump on a moving bus. When he did it everyone was surprised. It was amazing."

"The school got us to take the videos down," said Jumping Harry's friend. "The school just said it was reflecting badly on them because he was wearing the school uniform. But he took off his tie - he did that on purpose. They still said it would bring down the reputation of the school."

Derided by the authorities for his foolhardy, illegal antics, other YouTube commentators applauded his skill, while some were so enraged they wished he'd ended up as a contender for the yearly Darwin Awards - posthumous honours for those who remove
themselves from the gene-pool by idiotic means.

Some angry web-viewers made abusive comments and branded him a "moron" or a shortened version of the name Richard, which is unprintable on this website.

But fans of the daredevil outnumber his critics.

"That was ace. Well done that man/boy," said one; "impressive...SUPERHERO like even," said another, while one suggested a possible career-move, by writing: "ship him off to Hollywood."

That sentiment was half-echoed by the manager of the Mall in Maidstone, Paul Alcock, who, though outraged by the illegal leap, suggested there could be other outlets for Harry's talents.

Mr Alcock - also chairman of the Medway and Maidstone Athletics Club - said the jump was "horrendously dangerous" but added: "he needs to channel his enthusiasm and athleticism into proper athletics - I can help him with that."

A second YouTube video - showing Jumping Harry leaping, like Batman, from rooftop to rooftop in Maidstone Town Centre; scaling the side of Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre, and climbing the suspension structure of the Lockmeadow footbridge - has now sadly been removed from the web.

The same public interest has not arisen over the less spiderman-like Jamie Moore who can be viewed on YouTube rubbing his belly, and being goaded by his friends into jumping into the River Medway. Not quite as athletic as Jumping Harry perhaps, but no less foolhardy and certainly chillier.