This visit to Lapland was a wish come true for Bradford schoolboy Jake Turton.

Last Christmas, doctors warned his parents it could be his last. But the seven-year-old, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour, battled against the odds to prove them wrong – and won.

Earlier this month, Jake and his dad Andy joined 400 other youngsters who have been ill this year on a special flight to see Santa.

The festive jaunt was organised by the Wish Upon A Star charity, which makes sick children’s dreams come true.

Even though Jake had already had the best Christmas present he could have hoped for when doctors told him and his parents the tumour that almost cost him his life had gone, going to Lapland was an adventure of a lifetime, said his mum Cath.

Jake, a pupil at St Paul’s Primary School, Buttershaw, was due to take off from Humberside Airport on a specially-chartered flight, but snow and ice meant they had to divert to East Midlands Airport before finally jetting on their way.

“He had to get up extra early, but it just added to the excitement. It was a wonderful day. The charity and all the people who helped were fabulous,” said Mrs Turton.

The youngsters were joined on the day by a host of celebrities, including Waterloo Road star and Loose Women presenter Denise Welch and Emmerdale star Sophie Powles, who plays troubled Holly Baron.

“Sophie spent a lot of time with Jake and took him to see Santa. It was amazing from start to finish. We just wanted to say thank you to the charity and its supporters for making it happen.”

This Christmas was a huge contrast to last year, when Jake was allowed home from hospital on the Christmas Eve but had to be rushed back by ambulance the next day when his temperature got dangerously high.

When Jake first became ill, it was an internet search of his symptoms by his mother that saved his life.

It turned out he had a malignant medulloblastoma brain tumour, which had spread to his spine.

He had major brain surgery, was in a coma for ten weeks, had to learn to walk and talk again and endured months of chemotherapy.

Although Jake’s last scan gave him the all-clear, he will still have to go for check-ups every six months for the next five years.