A GRUELLING relay race helped a schoolboy cross the finish line of an incredible fundraising challenge in honour of his terminally ill father.

With just months to live, Andrew Tingle’s “bucket-wish” list was to see his eight-year-old son smash his target and raise £10,000 for cancer research.

Marking the end of a remarkable few months, Callum Lane-Tingle took part in the Cancer Research Relay for Life event at the weekend, joining scores of others in doing laps of Middlesbrough’s Sports Village in a 24-hour challenge.

The relay was the last in a series of fundraising events the Stockton boy has embarked upon since discovering his beloved dad had cancer in April.

It was also the event that finally pushed him to his £10,000 target, with a generous donation from the Tees Valley Community Foundation allowing him to hand over a cheque to the local branch of Cancer Research.

His father was emotional as he watched the relay, telling The Northern Echo: “His original target was £250 and it kept growing.

“All I wanted to see was him hand over the largest amount of money that he could, and that has happened.

“Callum has done Teesside and his family proud and he is amazing, so inspirational – it has been a great way of raising awareness.

“His fundraising has been the best part of my treatment, it has given me and my family something to focus on.”

Mr Tingle added: “The relay has been amazing, there’s been around 300 people and it has been great to see Teesside come together.

“But it will be the end of Callum’s fundraising for a while, he’s going to have a rest from it for now.

“I’ve got all of the rubbish out of the way myself – I’ve booked my funeral, picked out a coffin and sorted out my will – so now it’s time for us to make memories as a family.”