Detectives have gone to new heights to help a young girl crippled by gangsters by raising more than £180,000.

The police team, who investigated the shooting of Thusha Kamaleswaran in her uncle’s shop in Stockwell, vowed to climb three peaks for the girl.

Anthony McCalla, 20, from Streatham, was one of three gang members to be jailed for the attack in March last year.

The shooting in March 2011 left Thusha, then just five years old, paralysed from the waist down and requiring around-the-clock care.

CCTV footage of the moment she was shot horrified the detectives and police staff who climbed Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Redmond said: "The image of her dancing happily and then lying lifeless made us want to help.

"Seeing what Thusha and her family have gone though just made us want to do something for her. She was a totally innocent victim.

"The impact this has had on her family, the nature of Thusha's injuries and her age has really made this different from other cases we've dealt with.

"She is such a brave little girl. She is always smiling and is so positive even when she is in pain."

Police team typist Chris Andreou, who came up with the idea of the challenge, said: "Initially we were hoping to raise £5,000 so that we could buy Thusha her own specially adapted bicycle.

"We were then completely shocked and delighted when, thanks to the support and generosity of the public, not only have we already been able to purchase the cycle but have just under £180,000 left over which has been placed in a trust fund for Thusha's future."

Anyone wishing to donate to Thusha's Fund can visit thushafund.co.uk.