Young Spider-Man fan with rare condition finally gets to meet his hero

A nine-year-old boy from Glasgow who has a rare genetic condition was left "starstruck" after finally getting to meet his hero, the "real" Spider-Man.

Noah Connell was born with Pierre Robin Syndrome which resulted in facial abnormalities which cause problems with feeding and breathing.

He is a huge fan of the Marvel superhero and although he managed to meet actor Tom Holland's stunt double in costume during filming in Glasgow, he has finally met the man himself.

Noah had previously been left disappointed after being invited to the premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in London, but failed to meet his hero.

Noah, who uses a wheelchair, was born with a small neck, large tongue and small airway so has to be fed through a tube and uses an app on his iPad to speak.

His mum Jade told the BBC's Radio Scotland Breakfast programme: "He is the happiest wee boy you'll ever meet. He literally steals the hearts of everybody. Everybody loves him."

She said Noah had been "absolutely ecstatic" to eventually meet Holland at a private screening in London, organised through The Brothers Trust, a charity run by the actor's family.

"Tom was right in front of him so I think he was really starstruck," Jade said. "His wee face was a total picture.

"He just kept staring at him and blowing him kisses and giving him high fives. It was just lovely.

"He was giving him cuddles and we got loads of photos and loads of interaction which was so nice. He's such a lovely, lovely guy, so genuine. He totally made Noah's year."

Noah also got to ask Holland a question through his device - how does it feel to inspire kids like me?

His mum said Holland's response was that children like Noah give him the strength to keep going and keep being a superhero.

"It was a really touching answer," she said. "He's so, so lovely. Nothing was too much for him.

"It was just a beautiful, beautiful experience and watching Noah was lovely. It's a memory that we will forever be grateful for."

She said she believed the memory would be "ingrained in Noah's mind forever" because he had watched the pictures and the videos back "every single day".

Noah had previously been left disappointed after attending the premiere of the latest Spider-Man film as the section for disabled people was out of the way and blocked by a barrier.

Jade believes that, as a result, the stars of the film did not know they were there.

"It was heartbreaking at the time," she said. "It was horrible to see them all upset. It wasn't a great experience."

But she added that Noah's meeting with Holland had more than made up for it.