A TALENTED young Helensburgh mathematician is celebrating after he triumphed in an Argyll and Bute maths competition.

Lewis Aitken, a P5 pupil at Hermitage Primary School, came first in the educational app Sumdog’s online contest for children in the region.

The competition challenged children to solve problems to earn points, with Lewis coming out on top ahead of older children in P6 and P7, finishing with a final score of 986.

Dad Leon told the Advertiser: “Lewis was really happy because obviously he wants to do really well.

“From the start he was doing well, and on the first day he was already at the top.

“He kept going for a few days and was still at the top when he finished it.

“My wife and I are definitely proud of him.”

Lewis’ interest in maths is nothing new; he showed a talent for the subject even as a toddler.

His keen interest in maths sees him often playing leaning apps and asking his parents to quiz him.

Leon added: “He’s always been into numbers. Even in nursery they were getting him to read numbers into the hundreds and thousands.

“He was doing work beyond what he was being asked to do in primary one and primary two.

“He also does Carol Vorderman’s Maths Factor, an educational app.

“Sometimes he’s at the dinner table and he’s asking us to challenge him on his times tables.”

Sumdog provides learning and practice in numeracy for children aged five to 14, and literacy for children aged five to 11.

The app's creators aim to encourage children to enjoy and engage in educational activities through a variety of games.

The Maths Factor is a similar online programme which features games and video lessons for primary school children.