Little Dylan Simpkin is punching well above his weight by closing in on his black belt in karate - aged just five.

In less than two years, Dylan has received nine belts after starting classes with his sister.

His proud mum Lisa Simpkin, 37, who holds an orange belt in kickboxing, said: “Dylan was still in nursery when he started but he took to it like a duck to water, despite being half the size of his classmates.”

His sister Sade, ten, has reached brown belt after only two years of lessons and both children go to three karate lessons a week near their home in Brighton.

Their karate instructor Remzi Mehmet, of the Sama Organisation, said: “It usually takes a minimum of three years for children to progress to black belt, so Dylan and Sade are both very special.”