A community of car enthusiasts have come together to organise a birthday treat for an 11-year-old superfan.

Mum Kerry North, from Chatham, says she was "shocked and overwhelmed" from the response she received after posting an appeal online.

The 39-year-old and her family moved from Bexley to Cunningham Crescent in May last year, and says the area has a "great community spirit".

She said: "It's frustrating that Medway gets a bad name.

"There’s so much positivity in the area that doesn’t get picked up on."

Her oldest son, Thomas, will be turning 12 on Saturday, February 4.

In the lead up to his birthday, the mum of two posted a request in her local Medway Facebook group, asking people who have "nice" cars if they would be willing to drive past their home so he can wave at them – "his favourite past time".

Kerry added: “Thomas loves traffic, cars and trains.

“He has carers who take him out during the week for a couple of hours, and most of the time he visits a viewing point near Cuxton that overlooks the M2 and the railway line.

“We also go to Stoney Lane – which has a bridge over the motorway – to wave at trucks and they beep back at us.

“He would do that all the time if he could.”

The 11-year-old is autistic and has had a "hell of a year" – mostly from being without a school placement since the end of June.

"He’s been in SEN schools all his life," Kerry explained. "But his last school said that they would no longer be able to meet his needs.

“It’s sadly very common and hard for any child – he needs structure and one-on-one support.

“We are way into double figures in the number of schools that have been contacted – most of them are full.

"His understanding is limited, so it is difficult to explain to him.

"We try not to talk about it too much as he does get upset."

'I was really overwhelmed by the kindness and everybody wanting to do something positive.'

Since then, more than 40 people have been in contact with the mum, many who are petrolheads or part of local car clubs.

After being overwhelmed with messages in the space of a few days, Kerry eventually had to delete the initial post.

“Oh my gosh, I was in a state of shock," she said.

“I had so many people contacting me – at first I just turned the comments off – but then I had to remove it altogether because I was still getting loads of messages.

“Even after I deleted the post I was still getting them!

“I was really overwhelmed by the kindness and everybody wanting to do something positive."

On Thomas's birthday, a mix of different cars have been arranged to drive past – including Ford Mustangs, Nissan Skylines, convertibles and modified motors, as well as a Star Wars-themed automobile.

Kerry said: “I really thought maybe one or two people would get in touch.

"I knew I needed at least eight cars to make it work.

“I think around 30 may pass us on the day – he's going to be so excited.

“We live on a small crescent and I thought ‘this is not going to work', so we have decided that we will stand along Wayfield Road, and they can drive past and not cause chaos!"