A spooky Halloween party has helped raise hundreds towards an operation for a little girl with cerebral palsy.

More than 75 children turned out for the ‘Witching Hours’ Halloween event at The Beacon Centre in Beaconsfield on Friday, October 30, which was organised in a bid to raise money for an operation for three-year-old Orla Brash, from Tylers Green.

Through the charity Orla’s Own Steps, her family are hoping to raise £85,000 to fund an operation to help her walk, which will not be funded by the NHS.

The Halloween party, which saw youngsters in fancy dress - with Orla dressed as a ghost, decorate Halloween cupcakes, make arts and crafts and participate in a mass pumpkin lighting, managed to raise £462 towards the target - bringing the total up to more than £20,000.

Sue Brash, Orla’s mum, said: “It went really well and we had a brilliant day.

“The Fairy Tale Academy did the entertainment as a goodwill gesture and they had the kids up on stage singing, including Orla, it was so sweet.

“Orla loved it, she was singing and joining in, it was amazing. Everyone has been so incredible and we have had so much support.”

Orla, who was born five weeks premature and had to be resuscitated, cannot stand, balance or walk unaided and crawls or uses a walking frame called Spot to move around.

Sue hopes the six hour operation, called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, will relieve some of the tightness in Orla's legs, allowing her to walk on her own.

She said: “Orla is a very strong willed and determined little girl, but the frustration is huge for her when she sees other children her age walking and running and she knows she cannot do the same.

“It is really hard and really heart-breaking to see that as a mother.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/orlasownsteps to donate or visit www.facebook.com/OrlasownSteps.