A spell in hospital was made more fun when a boy got to meet Strictly Come Dancing star Tess Daly.

Kieran Bristow was in Great Ormond Street Hospital in London for a three-and-a-half hour operation on his hip.

It was his ninth operation for a congenital dislocated hip but he managed a smile for the presenter.

Tess joined Kieran, 12, to unveil a new play area called The Comfort Zone in Sky ward, an orthopaedic wing.

It houses soft furnishings, toys and PlayStation games.

Kieran said: "It's great to get away from my hospital bed when I can. There are construction kits and games which I can play with. Mum and my sister can come in too."

Kieran's mum Christina, 45, of The Crestway, Hollingdean, Brighton, said: "We were winding him up asking if he fancied her when she was there to cheer him up before the operation. They were both blushing.

"This is the biggest operation he's had. He's on morphine at the moment and woozy but he's such a football fanatic he'll be trying to get out of bed as soon as he can."

The room was paid for with £75,000 raised by Comfort Pure fabric conditioner as part of its Capture the Feeling campaign.