IT was a daunting task – to raise more than £27,000 in the space of six months.

But the family and friends of York war hero Matthew Hatton today revealed they had not only hit their fundraising target but smashed it – in less than half the time they expected.

The parents, sisters and friends of 23-year-old Matthew teamed up with soldiers’ charity Help For Heroes earlier this year, after the lance bombardier from Haxby was killed in action in Afghanistan.

They hoped to raise £27,200 by next spring, when they will embark on a sponsored trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, in Africa.

But after an “overwhelming” response, they have now raised £34,000 in only three months – an average of almost £370 a day.

Matthew’s mum Jill said: “It’s been fantastic – it’s absolutely amazing.”

An auction at York’s Hilton Hotel last month raised £8,500, while donations have also flooded in online and through a range of one-off events.

The family said many people had organised events on their own initiative, with the family only finding out when donations arrived.

“We cannot put it into words – people are just so kind,” said Jill.

“The spirit that everybody has engaged to try to help us raise this just reflects how people care about our soldiers.”

Matt Segar, an old schoolfriend of Lance Bombardier Hatton, said: “We want to thank everyone who has supported us so far – keep up the good work.”

Matthew’s younger sister, Becky, said: “Just because we have reached our target does not mean we want to stop.”

The fundraisers now hope to reach £50,000 by the time they embark on their trek next year and have organised additional events to add to their tally.

On January 30, there will be a band night at the Methodist Church in Haxby, next to the Cottage Inn pub, and the following Friday there will be a sponsored assault course competition at Strensall Barracks.

Email thecottageinnhaxby@live.co.uk for details of the band night, or amykelly436@live.co.uk for details of the assault course event. To donate directly to the cause, visit justgiving.com/matthewhatton