A nine-year-old Ashby schoolboy is running 1.2 miles a day for a month to raise money for Twycross Zoo.

Finn Wood decided to embark on his month-long challenge because he wanted to do his bit for the struggling Leicestershire attraction.

The Zoo has been closed since the country locked down in March.

And while it could open on Monday after the Government allowed zoos to welcome the public back in next week, Twycross has been struggling for cash after almost three months without any customers.

So Finn decided he would get his running shoes on to try and raise some funds

He decided that, every day, he would run twice around Hastings Park - the estate where he and his family live in Ashby - which works out at 1.2 miles, the length of a junior parkrun.

By Wednesday, he had raised over £450 after setting a £150 target - you can donate here: Finn's 1.2miles a day for 30 days

But mum Clare says that Finn had to move out of his comfort zone to achieve his goal.

And now he is outpacing his regular-runner parents.

Clare, an NHS midwife working at Burton Hospital, explained: "Now he's getting faster than most of the household!

"We only moved here from Durham towards the end of January and Finn was excited about being near a zoo.

"One of the first things we did in February on a rainy Saturday we went to Twycross and he loved it.

"What he wanted to do was a rangers' activity every Saturday for six weeks and he was planning to do that this summer.

"Then what happened, happened. But no doubt we'd have been very regular visitors.

"But now Finn has been concerned about who's looking after the animals."

Clare says that Finn came up with the idea of running to raise funds even though he was never too interested before.

She added: "Me and his dad are runners and trying to get him to run with us or do a parkrun, he was never that keen.

"But when he decided to raise some money it was a case of doing something he didn't really enjoy, that was running. To get him to run around the block was an achievement.

"Once he decided to do it to raise money, he suddenly became quicker than me.

"I can't keep up, he's getting faster and faster - and the reason it's 1.2 miles is that it's twice around our estate, the same distance as the junior parkrun. He's just completed day 16 but it's amazing how quick he's got - his best time is 9minutes 18seconds."