A St Albans teenager has launched a crowdfunding campaign to find the cash to pay for life-changing surgery.

Born as a female, Dexter Walsh, 17, identifies as male and desperately wants the physical transformation to make this a reality.

He has set up a GoFundMe page in response to not getting any positive support from his GP or any other gender services, such as The Tavistock and Portman Clinic, to which he was referred.

He said: "As far back as I can remember, I knew something was wrong. Something was different. My outside didn't match who I was on the inside.

"I always dressed in boy's clothes. I remember, in Year 1, being voted May Queen at school and then hearing I had to wear a dress and being horrified.

"I legally changed my name when I was 15. It felt correct when I could say 'My name is Dexter', but my journey is not nearly finished and I will need help to do so."

Dexter came out to his mum when he was 14 and to his school friends and teachers at 15, and now takes testosterone after going private for treatment.

"A lot of people have helped me - a lot. I would have started the hormone treatment sooner if I could have. It feels different. I feel anger more easily and it is harder to cry.

"I am told that after a year it calms down."

Tracey O'Hara, Dexter's mum, is fully behind his mission. She said: "I know how much this means to Dexter. He has been dealing with being trans his whole life. To be free now would be life-changing for him. I know some people might not understand and think this is a whim or a phase but this is not the case!

"Surgery like this is something a trans-person dreams of for many many years."

To help Dexter reach his goal go to https://tinyurl.com/en84jfyj