A BRAVE boy suffering from an aggressive brain tumour had a day's break from his battle to have a special wish granted.

Luke Webb, eight, was taken to see the Lion King, in the West End, thanks to the efforts of Kids In Need, a charity which arranges special outings for terminally ill and severely disabled children.

He was picked up by stretch limousine and stayed at the Ritz.

Luke also paid a visit to the Rainforest cafe, in Shaftesbury Avenue, where his family were surrounded by animals with thunder and lightening storms above them as they ate.

His mother, Lucy, of Bridgwater Drive, Westcliff, said he loved the trip because he is an animal fanatic.

He was able to enjoy it to the full after Great Ormond Street Hospital gave him steroids to dull the pain for a day.

"It all went without a hitch. Great Ormond Street made sure all Luke's medications were absolutely spot on so he didn't have any discomfort throughout the day," she said.

"He loves lions, he is absolutely obsessed with them, and his bedroom is surrounded by cuddly lions. Obviously, the Lion King film has been watched hundreds of times by him."

Kids In Need took just a week and a half to organise the big day, which will leave special memories for his mother and sister Hannah, nine.

These memories are even more precious after Luke took a turn for the worse after the trip and was admitted to Little Havens children's hospice, in Thundersley.

He is now unable to talk and there is a lot of pressure on his body.

Although Luke has had to spend a lot of his time sleeping, his character still shines through - the same character which made him a big hit with Southend's firefighters, who he has regularly visited since his diagnosis nearly two years ago, which was followed by chemotherapy treatment.

His mum said: "When he's awake he's still got his sense of humour. When the nurse is talking to him he'll put his hand up as if to say talk to the hand'".

"I'm not going to say he has lost the battle. We were only given a few months for him to live two years ago.

"Even when the day comes he battled this rotten thing and that's the way we're going to remember it. He didn't lose he won."

Kids in Need managed to grant 68 wishes last year to make sure families will have memories to last a lifetime.

If anyone has a child whose wish they would like to see granted, or would like to find out about how they can help, project co-ordinator Gloria Poole can be contacted on 07786 082076.