SEBASTIAN Murtough was all smiles at The Deers Leap pub yesterday as his family received more than £3,000 in donations from Penhill fundraisers and Walcot Charity Shop.

The 20-month-old is battling cancer. He is currently recovering from a serious operation to remove the tumour on his left kidney, which surgeons believe has been a success.

Less than two weeks after the operation, the boy was yesterday scrambling around the pub with his parents, even playing his own version of pool.

The money raised came from the efforts of Rhonda Adams and friends, who organised a day of activities at the pub on Saturday.

Walcot Charity Shop handed a cheque for £1,000 to the family yesterday, who have been staggered by the response of the community to Sebastian’s plight.

“I was touched. I can’t thank people enough for how they have turned up,” said Steve, Sebastian’s father.

“It’s nice to know you are liked. If you are not liked by local people they wouldn’t have an interest in the attempts to raise money, but so many people did turn up.

“At one point I couldn’t move in the back room.”

More than £2,300 was raised as a result of the fundraising day at The Deers Leap. Rhonda said an auction for boxing memorabilia organised by Kelvin Young was not required in the end.

She said boxer Kelvin secured private bids for both the glove signed by Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, and the tickets to his fight at the Oasis next month, amounting to £240 in total.

“The final total was £2,355, but there is still money coming in from sponsored events,” said Rhonda, 34, of Burbage Road.

“The magic show was the best part of the day. We opened doors at 12 o’clock and we were full by 10 past.

“It wasn’t just our lot that supported it. Family of Steve’s came down from Bath for the day.

“It was worth the effort. Seeing all the kids’ faces, including Sebastian’s, was perfect. ”

Peter Mallinson and Deborah Estarbrook, respectively chairman and manager of Walcot Charity Shop, presented the cheque yesterday.

“We saw it [Sebastian’s story] in the press and I said I thought it was a good thing to offer help,” said Peter.

“We have done it for children in the past, normally youngsters who need operations to help them walk.”

Steve said he has been staggered by his son’s recovery from the major operation which removed a tumour weighing over 1kg from the child’s body.

“The tumour was like a bag of sugar and would be equivalent to an adult having a tumour weighing 10 per cent of their body weight,” he said.

“We are waiting for the results to come back before we know more about when and where he will have chemotherapy.”