A 15-year-old Army cadet has been praised by his commanding officer for keeping a cool head when giving first aid to a man who had been hit by a car in Keighley.

Corporal Aaron Jefford, of Keighley Detachment of the Yorkshire North and West Army Cadet Force, was walking in Highfield Lane when he heard a thud behind him.

He turned round to see a man lying on the ground, apparently having been hit by a car.

The man in the car called an ambulance, but things soon got heated, leaving the teenager to keep the peace and look after the injured man, believed to be in his early 60s.

Cpl Jefford, who lives on Glenhurst Avenue, said: “After he called the ambulance, the driver started shouting at the casualty saying that he had run in front of his car. I then asked him to stand back, as he was getting angrier and louder.

“I asked the man on the floor if he could hear me. He replied yes, so I told him my name and that I was a first aider. He told me that he had a phone in his pocket. I then carried out a top-to-toe survey. From this I established that he had damaged both arms and had wounds to the face.”

The ambulance arrived and the man was taken to hospital for treatment. Cpl Jefford then filled police in on what had happened.

Colour Sergeant Glen Kennedy, detachment commander, said: “What he did is exactly what we’ve trained him to do, which is act cool under pressure.

“He is a senior cadet in my detachment, and I think this gives a very good impression to the junior cadets on how to react in such situations. First aid is an important life skill, and you can save someone’s life with it.”