WALTON Gardens was packed with little knights, dragons and princesses this weekend as hundreds turned out for a sponsored toddler walk in aid of a three-year-old who is battling leukaemia.

Friends and family have rallied after Woolston youngster George Rooza was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in January, aiming to raise £5,000 to transform the family’s garden.

George faces up to four years of treatment to beat the leukaemia, including chemotherapy that will weaken his immune system – meaning he will be unable to play out in public as he could pick up serious infections.

A transformed garden will allow George a safe space to play in with his brother Oliver, 10, and sister Harriet, seven.

Saturday’s toddle waddle saw youngsters on a sponsored walk of Walton Garden dressed as knights, princesses and dragons to mark St George’s Day, with approximately £4,000 raised.

That means the £5,000 target has now been smashed and work on the garden of the family’s Wiltshire Close home is set to begin this weekend.

Mum Lisa Neild, 33, formerly ran Lazy Daisy Birth Classes before George’s diagnosis and has also been forced to postpone her wedding which was planned for this summer.

She said: “We smashed our target and work on the garden is set to start this weekend – we’ve had lots of offer from the community with dads who say they’ll do some digging for us.

“It’s amazing really and it was really nice to see our friends and family, some of my previous clients and people who had just read about George in the paper – one woman came and she had had cancer and got through it so she came to support us with her family.

“I just want to thank the organisers Helen Dolce-Lund and Sarah Poole for everything they’ve done – without them it wouldn’t have happened because we’ve got a lot of things going on and we’d never have been able to do it – and also Walton Gardens for letting us have the event.”

To donate go to gofundme.com/GeorgeRoo, or to follow Lisa’s blog on the family’s journey go to mummyroo.co.uk.