THE mother of a kind-hearted youngster whose generosity melted the hearts of the nation, says she has been "overwhelmed" by the reaction to his good deed.

Alex Croston, aged six, pledged to donate his £8 pocket money after thieves stole cash from a Poppy Appeal collection during a break-in at St Stephen's Primary School in Kearsley.

Since his donation was revealed in The Bolton News, the story has captured the attention of the nation's media, and Alex was invited to appear on Channel 4 TV show TFI Friday.

During the show, to thank him for his gesture, Formula One stars Jenson Button and David Coulthard invited Alex to join them at the Race of Champions, a high-speed battle between some of the top drivers in the world.

The day after the show was broadcast, Alex, his mother Tanya and father Simon attended the event at Wembley Stadium, and Alex was even treated to a ride around the track in one of the high powered cars.

He also met Norwegian professional rally driver, Petter Solberg.

Since the show was broadcast, a cheque of £380 has been donated to the Farnworth and Kearsley Branch of the Royal British Legion.

Mrs Croston said: "The whole thing has been overwhelming, it has been a bit crazy to be honest. The response has been so positive, there has been a lot of people saying very nice things about him and I feel very proud.

"It is amazing that something negative has been turned around, and now we have raised much more money than was actually stolen."

Other stars who appeared on TFI Friday alongside Alex were rock band Stereophonics and pop group Little Mix, and the youngster said he was made to feel very welcome.

He said: "He was a little bit nervous but I really enjoyed it. Everyone was very nice to me."

Mrs Croston added: "Alex was treated like a prince. Chris Evans was really nice to him, and Alex spent some time with his son."

Alex was crowned the show's guest of honour, and Chris Evans described him as "amazing" while David Coulthard said he was a "hero".

Four laptop computers and two iPads were also stolen during the break in at the school, in Bent Spur Road, which happened the day after Remembrance Sunday.