You could say that some children find walking to school too much to bear, but one schoolgirl has scaled new heights as she put her best foot forward to climb Britain's highest peaks.

Seven-year-old, Katie Littlefair, of Avocet Court, Leyland, has just returned home from her latest challenge, climbing the three highest peaks in Great Britain.

Katie, a pupil at Moss Side Primary School, Paradise Lane, Leyland, scaled Scafell Pike in the Lake District in July, then Snowdon in Wales, and Ben Nevis in Scotland -- Britain's highest peak -- on October 29.

In between all this, in September, she ran a 3k fun run in Formby, near Southport, to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.

Katie, who is a sports enthusiast and has tennis lessons at South Ribble Tennis Centre, on Saturdays, has always had a head for heights since she was a baby.

Mum Sue, and dad, Dave, both 43, used to take their daughter and her brother, Sam, now 13, for mountain hikes in baby carriers.

Katie, who completed her latest climbing challenge with her family, has also been on caving expeditions to the Runscar Cave System, in May with Moss Side Beaver Group, based at Moss Side Village Community Centre, off Dunkirk Lane.

Katie, who has ambitions to be a dentist when she is older, said: "I love walking because it's lots of fun.

"I really like the climbing and it was brill' when I got to the top. It was really rainy and windy so we got wet but it didn't stop me enjoying it."

Sue said she could not believe how good Katie was at coping with the 4406ft Ben Nevis hike.

"I'm aching even now but it doesn't seem to have affected Katie at all," she said.

"She's absolutely amazing, as is Sam, they both do a lot of walking. Katie really is an outdoorsy girl. She's incredible, particularly for a girl of her age."