WHILE some children find walking to school too much to bear, one little girl from Chorley put her best foot forward to climb Britain's highest mountains.

Young Shireen Durnan, seven, of Stratford Road, has just returned home from her latest challenge -- climbing the three highest peaks in Great Britain in only 15 days.

Shireen, a pupil at Highfield Primary School, Chorley, scaled Snowdon in Wales on April 6, Scafell Pike in the Lake District on April 13 and Ben Nevis on 21 April.

Her mother Tracy, 35, realised her daughter may have a head for heights when she climbed Mount Etna, Sicily, at just five-years-old.

And it only took her three hours to walk around the circumference of Ayres Rock in the Australian desert in 100 degree heat.

The well-travelled youngster was also lucky enough to cross the bridge on the River Kwai during a visit to Thailand.

Shireen, who is only 4ft, got the travel bug after visiting the Arctic Circle to meet Father Christmas as a toddler and she hasn't stopped since.

Mum Tracy said: "I don't know where she gets it from, it's certainly not me, I'm a couch potato. I find it difficult enough just to climb the stairs!

"She made £200 in sponsorship for Derian House when she climbed the three British mountains with a family friend and she had only three days to raise it.

"I'm incredibly proud of her and I never know what she's going to do next."

Shireen, who has two teenage brothers, aims to have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro by the time she is 12 and is waiting to start her Duke of Edinburgh award.

Unfortunately the minimum age for the award is 14, but, undeterred, her mother hopes to get the age limit lowered so Shireen can pursue her hobby.

Shireen, who wants to join the police force when she grows up, said: "I love climbing because I really like the countryside.

"I get tired, but it's good when I've finished. When I got near to the top of Snowdon the person I was climbing with asked me if I wanted to stop but I said 'no way, I'm not quitting now!'

"As well as climbing I go swimming and do ballet and tap dancing. I had to give up Kung Fu because I didn't have time to fit it all in."