A Sevenoaks yoga prodigy has received top honours from a former Britain's Got Talent winner.

Ishwar Vishwanath Sharma, from Halstead, has received a British Citizen Youth Award for his attempts to inspire other youngsters to take part in yoga.

The nine-year-old started practising yoga aged three, and is a three time British Yoga Championship under 11's winner.

Last night the St Michael's Preparatory School student went to the Palace of Westminster, where he was awarded the British Citizen Youth Award by Diversity star Ashley Banjo.

Dr Nanjundiah Vishwanath, Ishwar’s father, said: "We are incredibly proud of Ishwar. He is really passionate about getting other children and adults to take up yoga for all the emotional and physical benefits it brings.

"He is a great advocate for yoga. Children are not always interested in yoga as they may find it boring. Then they see Ishwar perform and they run up to him asking how they can do it too. It’s great because so many children today spend all their time on their mobile phones or tablets – and yoga is a great way for them to relax and unwind.

"Receiving the British Citizen Youth Award is just the latest in a long line of achievements for Ishwar, but we know he won’t stop here. He is a real inspiration to all of us, and we hope he will be to other children as they hear his story. However young or old you are, you can achieve your dreams."

The young yoga fanatic won the young achiever prize at the British Indian Awards this year and hopes to one day become a yoga teacher.

Specsavers sponsored the British Citizen Youth Awards.

Maxine Chakowa, store director at Specsavers Sevenoaks, said: "Ishwar is a really inspirational young man, who has achieved an amazing amount at a really young age. None of us in store can wait to see what he does next.

"The British Citizen Youth Awards are a real celebration of the part that so many inspirational young people play in making their local communities, and wider society, a much better place. Long may they continue."