AN Old Town resident was so impressed by the youngsters who came to her aid when she fell she wrote to the head of their school to praise their actions.

Pamela J Forde was delivering newsletters in Westlecot Road last Thursday when she twisted her ankle and fell.

Two Year 7 boys from Commonweal School, Ben Sheppard and Stanley Banks and an unidentified girl saw her lying on a driveway close to the pavement and went to her aid.

"The boys were the first to spot me lying there," said Mrs Forde.

"One of the boys, phone in hand asked if there was anyone he could call for me, or an ambulance.

"I said this wasn't necessary, as I knew that my husband, who had started leafleting from the opposite end of the road, would not be long but I may not have explained this to them at the time.

"Well, is there anything that I can do to help?" was his next question, just as a girl arrived on the scene.

"I asked if they could help me to my feet, thinking this might require a joint effort, however the girl took me firmly by the forearms, braced herself and very slowly and carefully helped me to kneel, then stand.

"They then dusted me down and checked that there was nothing else that I needed them to do for me, before going on their way."

Mrs Forde said she was compelled to write to Commonweal headteacher Keith Defter because young people often get a bad press.

“I should like to commend the actions of a small group of your students who came to my assistance, following a fall in Westlecot Road, last Thursday towards 3.30pm. I think they may only have been Year 7s, which would make their action all the more laudable," she wrote.

And she added: "Whilst I must have thanked them at the time, I should be pleased if you could identify the students concerned and emphasise just how much I appreciated their help. Additionally, if the school has any mechanism for recognising individual good deeds, I feel that this would be well deserved in the circumstances.

"Perhaps what impressed me most was that these young people did all the right things: they stopped and asked if I needed help and then what sort of help I wanted, and again if there was anything else they could do before leaving me. I am now nursing a badly bruised and sprained ankle."

Mrs Forde was invited to the school to personally thank the children.

Ben Sheppard, 12, said: “We were just walking home from school when I saw a woman sitting in a driveway holding a collection of leaflets.

"Stan then got out his phone asking if he could call someone, and I went over trying to help her up. Her ankle had collapsed, so she was finding it hard to get up. It was the least we could do.” 

And Stanley, also aged 12, said: “We picked up her bag and gave it to her and she said 'thank you' and me and Ben carried on walking home acting like it never happened.”

The boys received letters of commendation from Mr Defter and ten house points each.

“It is always heart-warming when you see and hear of Commonweal students doing the right thing and in this case Ben and Stan have done themselves proud," said Mr Defter.

"Even better, they were quite happy for their community actions not to be lauded and acted throughout with humility and a maturity beyond their years.”