AN Alvechurch boy has been praised for his bravery after saving his mother's life after she fell into a diabetic coma.

Eight-year-old William Kelly, of Robin's Hill Drive, rushed to his mum Julie's rescue when he found her unconscious last Thursday morning.

Mrs Kelly said: "He knew immediately something was wrong and recognised the symptoms, so he threw cold water over me and fed me with sugar before telephoning for an ambulance.

"By the time they arrived I had gained consciousness and was feeling much better, but he helped the ambulance crew further by taking care of the dog while they were looking after me."

A spokesman from the Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust praised William's quick-thinking.

"It would be fair to say this little boy saved his mother's life. He acted promptly and calmly in what could have been a very serious situation."

"William did everything right, looked after his mum and was extremely brave."

Mrs Kelly, a community dietician, has suffered from diabetes for 25 years but said attacks had become more severe recently with a change in treatment.

She said William and his five-year-old sister Jessica had helped her many times but had never before had to cope with such a serious situation.

"We've always been close but this experience has brought us all closer than ever," she said. "William's an amazing boy and I'm so proud of him."