Army cadet Adam Ozan and two fellow pupils from Blenheim High School had a good excuse for being late for school - they were delayed because they went to the rescue of a woman having a major epileptic fit.

Adam, 14, who had learnt first aid with the cadets, turned her into the recovery position and he and Rebecca Roberts and Tom Kirby, both 15, put their jackets under her and their jumpers on top of her to keep her warm and to prevent her hurting herself on the pavement.

While two of them looked after her the third called an ambulance and they stayed with her until paramedics arrived to take the woman to hospital.

The drama started when the three students were walking along Longmead Road on their way to school last Tuesday when they saw the woman ahead of them.

"Something was wrong with her - we didn't know what but then she fell over and started having a fit," said Adam.

"I learnt a bit of first aid with the cadets so I put her in the recovery position. I was very pleased I had done some first aid but it was quite scary at the beginning."

A spokesman for the Army Cadets said: "The lad did very well. It is not the first time and sadly it won't be the last that one of our cadets is called on to put their training to practical use.

"He will probably only have done initial training so he did particularly well. Our progressive training is quite comprehensive and he will go on to learn even more."