A WIRRAL schoolboy took to the stage as compere for a special concert in aid of Bowel & Cancer Research.

The Wallasey Choir offered to sing for free to help 13-year-old Josh Keane raise more than £1,100 for the charity.

Josh, a pupil at Calday Grange Grammar School, began fundraising after granddad Bob Bell, a retired funeral director, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014.

Josh was made a regional ambassador for the organisation because of his fundraising efforts.

Before the concert of swing music at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre in Moreton started, Josh took to the stage to talk about Bob, the charity and bowel cancer.

Mum Katie Keane said the whole evening was a bit of a tear-jerker. She added: "The way people have rallied round has been fantastic.

"One of my dad's former colleagues, Cath Burgess, contacted local businesses for raffle prizes and in 24 hours we had all these great vouchers.

"All my old school friends heard about it and came along. We made £1,100.50 which is amazing."

Granddad Bob, 71, from Saughall Massie, was there too and drew the first raffle prize.

Josh kicked off his fundraising with a cake sale when he was aged 10.

Then he and his aunties Jeni Cox and Vicky Doherty (and others) did an abseil from Leasowe lighthouse.

With the help of her sisters Vicky and Jeni, Katie has also organised fundraising events and joined Jeni in an organised a climb up Mount Snowdon.

Deborah Gilbert, chief executive of Bowel & Cancer Research, thanked the Keane family and the Wallasey Choir for their support.

She said: "Josh and his family have been an inspiration.

"Our mission is to ensure that no one should die of bowel cancer in future and we can only accomplish that with the support of our fantastic fundraisers".