“DO YOUR best” is a founding principle of the scouting movement – and ten-year-old Harry Collinson has followed to the letter.

Harry, from Thirsk, has earned all 33 activity badges available to cub scouts, one of only a handful of youngsters in the country to achieve the feat.

Activity badges are designed to boost youngsters’ skills and interests. Subjects Harry has tackled include art, cookery and personal safety.

He has now finished his stint with the cubs, which caters for youngsters between the ages of eight and ten, and will join the scouts next month.

Harry’s achievement has made him the envy of his fellow cubs and earned praise from his proud parents, Neil and Carol, as well as 1st Thirsk Cub Scouts scout leader Michaela Benson.

Mrs Collinson said: “Harry is quite driven and enjoys collecting badges. He has five Blue Peter badges and is hoping to earn a gold badge from them as a result of this achievement.

“He is quite competitive and we are very proud of him.”

Miss Benson said: “Harry got into a competition with his friend to see who could collect all their badges first.

“There are only about five people that have done it since this programme of activity badges came into operation.”