A schoolboy has won a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take part in history.

Dippy, the Natural History Museum's 292-piece replica Diplodocus is weeks away from arriving at Dorset County Museum in Dorchester, the first stop of his UK tour in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation.

A competition was run for budding young scientists in the country to help assist in the reconstruction of Dippy at Dorset County Museum.

The winner, drawn at random, was Harry Swift from Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Dippy is one of 10 replicas of the original Diplodocus in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, including Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Moscow.

The parts will be transported in specially designed packaging crates, with the reassembling of Dippy a very big task.

As such, Dorset County Museum called on the help of local young scientists to complete the reconstruction.

Helping to assist Lorraine Cornish, the Natural History Museums' Head of Conservation, budding young scientists from across the south west region were invited to enter for the chance to place the very last piece of the Dippy cast in place prior to his presentation to the general public.

Eleven-year-old dinosaur enthusiast, Harry Swift who attends Fair Oak Junior School in Eastleigh, won the honourable task.

Harry's mother, Teresa Swift, said: "Harry is so thrilled that he has the honour of starting Dippy on tour, it's a dream come true having seen Dippy in London a few years ago.

"We are all so excited for him."

Dippy on Tour opens to the public on Saturday, February 10, and will be at Dorset County Museum until Monday, May 7.

Tickets to this family experience are free and allocated on a first come first served basis from dorsetcountymuseum.org or from the museum's reception.

Museum members will be allowed unlimited access to the exhibition, so if you are unfortunate not to be allocated the time slot you want, you could still see Dippy by becoming a member and supporting the museum.

In addition to the Dippy on Tour exhibition, Dorset County Museum, the Jurassic Coast Trust and partners are hosting a variety of Jurassic-themed experiences from fossil hunting expeditions to bike ride guided tours during Dippy's stay.

For more information visit jurassiccoast.org