WE were never in any doubt that the £10,000 target to buy inspirational teenager Lyndon Longhorne his artificial legs would be reached.

Lyndon, who lost both his legs and one arm after being struck with meningitis when he was a toddler, is a special boy and the people of the North-East are especially generous.

We knew that our readers would be touched by Lyndon’s remarkable story and make sure that the campaign, initiated by Durham County Council chairman Brian Myers, was a success.

But the response to the campaign has even surpassed our expectations, with the target being smashed in a matter of days.

Donations have ranged from £5,000 from a Bishop Auckland company, to £20 donated by a housebound 89-yearold woman who contacted Councillor Myers after reading about the appeal.

There is such momentum that surplus cash will now be placed in a trust fund to buy Lyndon a £25,000 bionic arm.

Our thanks are due to everyone who has made a contribution, however big or small.

Lyndon has already achieved so much, overcoming his disabilities to win medals at national swimming events. He now dreams of making it to the Paralympics in 2012.

If he has got this far before his 14th birthday, imagine what he can achieve with his new legs, a bionic arm and the knowledge that the people of the region are behind him.

Reaching the appeal target is an exciting chapter in the remarkable life of Lyndon Longhorne.

But we have a very strong feeling that there are many more exciting chapters to come.