Cancer-stricken teen sets world record

Cancer-stricken teenager Stephen Sutton can cross another item off his famous bucket list: set a Guinness World Record.

The English 19-year-old, whose fundraising efforts have made him a global viral sensation, claimed that he had set the world record for "the most amount of people making heart-shaped hand gestures".

Mr Sutton used his Facebook page to thank the 554 people who helped him set the record.

The event took place on Sunday at his former school, Chase Terrace Technology College, the Birmingham Mail reports.

The crowd cheered when the wheelchair-bound teen arrived at his first public event since he was discharged from hospital on Saturday.

When organisers realised they were 50 people short of beating the previous record of 501, they recruited more helpers.

"We chose to break the heart-shaped hand gesture record because it fits with Ste’s positivity message and we all love Ste, so we want to spread the love," said Mr Sutton's friend Hannah Telles, 17.

"Stephen was in very good spirits. It was phenomenal how the whole community pulled together," Maria Tucker, one of the event's organisers, told BBC News.

Mr Sutton, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 15, has documented his medical battle on social media for several months in an effort to raise money for other teens with the disease.

He has so far raised more than $5 million.

In April he posted a selfie saying "It's a final thumbs up from me!", but days later he "coughed up" a tumour and was later released from hospital.