A COMEDIAN has helped raise thousands for a Penarth schoolboy with Down's Syndrome to go on holiday to Disney World.

Jason Manford posted on Facebook on Friday night urging his fans to donate to become "charity ninjas" and help 12-year-old Alex Jones smash his £12,000 target.

Alex was raising funds to go on the holiday organised by charity Cauldwell Children but had only raised £240.

But donations flooded in overnight and the total now stands at more than £18,000

The post read: “Just had a really funny thought. Imagine if we got this kid’s charity appeal to £12k overnight and then I just deleted the posts about it. That family would wake up tomorrow morning having gone from £240 to £12k with not a clue how! We could be charity ninjas!”

Mr Manford then deleted the post so that the family would have no idea how the funds had been raised writing: "Nothing to see here folks. #Crackedit #CharityNinjas #ThankYou."

Mr Manford had the idea to try and raise the money after hearing about Alex's story.

Alex had been found at a bus depot in Barry having not been dropped home on his way back from Ysgol y Deri in Penarth.

To donate, see www.justgiving.com/fundraising/holiday4alex.