A Watford grandmother conquered one of her biggest fears this week to raise money to buy her autistic grandson an assistance dog which is specifically trained to help people with disabilities.

Christine Lythaby, 55, of East Drive completed a sponsored swim at Watford Leisure Centre on Wednesday to help out six-year-old Thomas Keene, who was diagnosed with autism in January 2014.

At the beginning of this year, Thomas' parents decided the addition of a service dog would vastly improve his wellbeing and lifestyle, and have since been finding ways to raise the £6,000 needed to acquire one.

Ms Lythaby's confidence to wear a swimsuit was knocked after she was diagnosed with breast cancer just after Thomas was born.

But after swimming nine lengths, and the momentum of a good cause behind her, Ms Lythaby overcame her fear.

She said: "It was a big thing for me to do, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

"I got over my fear and I got my confidence back.

"I used to love swimming, I always used to go, and I'll definitely be going back now."

Ms Lythaby raised £433 to go towards buying Thomas a service dog, and says she is looking forward to spending more time with him.

"I didn't get to spend much time with Thomas when he was younger as I was dealing with my cancer. But I'm fully recovered now, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with him, and for the service dog arriving, as it will be a huge relief on the family."

Kay Lythaby, Thomas' mum, added: "Thank you to everyone who supported Christine in doing this, rebuilding her confidence, and supporting Thomas' cause.

"The leisure centre manager was there and he let us in for free and gave us three free membership passes for the raffle we'll be having at a special fundraising event for Thomas on Sunday, April 26.

"We're all extremely proud of her for doing it."