WATCH: Touching video shows moment seven-year-old with cerebral palsy has lap of honour in ice arena

Seven-year-old Orla Barratt absolutely loves ice skating with her family - including mum Zoe - and was looking forward to her first trip in more than two years due to the Covid pandemic.

However, Orla unfortunately became very distressed and displayed sensory overload, anxiety and had a meltdown, her mum told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

"I ended up sat at the side holding her whilst she cried inconsolably for the full hour and a half session, leaving the teenagers to get on with it!", mum Zoe said.

But Hull ice arena staff were not going to let the experience ruin Orla's day.

Instead, she was invited back on to the ice at the end of a public session to go round as the guest of honour, skating on her wheelchair on an empty rink.

Many of the people who had been on the ice previously on January 23 stayed to watch the lap of honour and cheered and clapped for Orla, her mum said.

The moment was captured on video and Zoe, from York, said staff were "outstanding" with her family.

"They were amazing", Zoe said.

"They were flexible enough to turn around a negative experience and turn it into a happy one.

"These feelings of anxiety, sensory overload and subsequent meltdown are very real, all encompassing feelings and reactions for a lot of children, which most people struggle to comprehend, mistaking them for tantrums and bad behaviour.

"The care the staff showed us that day was just outstanding.

"I cannot thank them enough, and we look forward to visiting again soon, especially as Orla has her vaccine tomorrow!"

The trip was the first time the family had been out properly in two years as Orla was shielding from Covid.

Orla is visually impaired, had learning difficulties and delayed motor development.

"Hull made it accessible for her, and we had been able to go as a family", Zoe explained.

"The drive from York is certainly worth it.

"However this wasn’t the case at the end of January.

"As a Mum I wanted to turn this round, her sisters love skating and as I say it was a rare activity we can all do as a family.

"I spoke to a staff member as they passed and asked if it were possible to help me turn such her negative experience round.

"He went to speak to the manager and came back telling me if we went round to the ice machine entrance we could do one loop round after the end of the session.

"It was wonderful, she loved it.

"What the video doesn’t show you is all the people waving at her as we skated round, the manager shouting go round again, do another loop!

"But most importantly of all, my Orla shouting wheeeeee as we skated round, laughing and clapping happily."

The manager of the ice arena has even invited the family to return for an SEN session on Friday mornings.

"It may help in the future", Zoe said.

"We have a teacher training day next Friday - guess what we are doing?!"