A British teenager became the youngest climber in the world to conquer the Seven Summits when he reached the peak of Mount Everest today.

George Atkinson, 16, realised his dream at around 3.30am when he made it to the top of the world's highest mountain.

He is also understood to be the youngest Briton to stand atop the Himalayan summit.

His proud mother Penny posted a message on her son's blog declaring: "George has done it. He reached the summit at about 8.15am Nepali time.

"It sounds as if the weather is good...

"A big thank you to everyone who has helped George to achieve his dream."

She was "elated and emotional" about her son's feat, she said, adding: "Just get my boy down safe now!"

George, who turns 17 on Sunday, had climbed the three highest peaks in the UK by the age of seven, according to the British Mountaineering Council, who confirmed today's record.

He started the Seven Summits challenge in 2005, at the age of 11, when he climbed Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, followed by Russia's Mount Elbrus in 2007.

In 2008 he completed both Indonesia's Carstensz Pyramid and Argentina's Mount Aconcagua, before heading to North America's Alaska Range to climb what is known as the toughest of the first six, Mount McKinley.

He ticked off his sixth summit, Mount Vinson in Antarctica, late last year.

The previous record for the youngest climber to scale the highest peak of each continent was held by 17-year-old Johnny Collinson, from the US, who completed the challenge last year.

The Guinness World Record for the youngest person to successfully climb Everest is held by Nepali Temba Tsheri Sherpa, who reached the summit on May 23 2001, aged 16 years and seven days.

George's triumph came less than a week after Irishman John Delaney died attempting to reach the summit of Everest, not knowing his wife had just given birth to a baby girl back home.

The 42-year-old from Kilcock, Co Kildare, is understood to have collapsed less than 50 metres from reaching the top and realising his ultimate dream.

Gap year students James Hooper, from Wellington, Somerset, and Rob Gauntlett from Petworth, West Sussex, previously became the youngest Britons to climb Everest on May 17 2006, aged 19.