Mini Monet makes a million

A nine-year-old artist is about to become a millionaire after selling his latest collection of 24 paintings for £250,000.

Kieron Williamson, from Norfolk, had his landscape pictures snapped up by telephone and internet buyers from around the world in just 15 minutes.

The youngster only started painting during a family trip to Devon and Cornwall in 2008 - before then he had just coloured in dinosaurs for fun.

But since then he has become an international art sensation with some of his pieces being bought for tens of thousands of pounds.

The paintings sold recently included two landscapes priced at £34,950 each while even small pastels which took him just a few minutes to paint sold for between £6,000 and £7,000.

Before hitting the big time Kieron used to live with his family in a rented flat next door to a petrol station in Holt.

But with his earnings set to pass the £1 million mark his family have been able to move to a £150,000 home in the picturesque village of Ludham in the Norfolk Broads.

However, the talented schoolboy will not be given free access to his rapidly growing wealth until he reaches 18, as his parents Michelle, 39 and Keith, 45, have been investing it on his behalf.

Mrs Williamson said: "His paintings are continuing to progress and improve - but he is still a normal boy.

"He is not quite as prolific as he used to be because he is busy with his homework and is in the school football team. He makes sure that he has time for all the other things he enjoys.

"He would rather watch TV and play about - but he still loves painting and does two or three a week."