A 12-YEAR-OLD boy whose quick thinking saved his and his mum's life when she suffered a medical episode when driving has been awarded a Chief Constable’s Commendation for bravery.

Zac Howells was travelling from Ebbw Vale with mum Nicola to a Christmas market in Birmingham, and managed to take control of the car from his mum when she lost consciousness with her foot on the accelerator on the A40 shortly after passing Monmouth.

Zac attempted to wake his mum before taking control of the steering wheel and guided the car onto a grass verge to slow it down near Ross

Once the vehicle had stopped, he switched off the engine and called 999, and staying calm gave the call handler the exact location of their car to which officers were deployed.

Thankfully, neither Zac nor his mum were injured during the incident.

And last week Zac and his mum visited West Mercia Police headquarters in Hindlip, Worcestershire.

Zac spent the morning touring the police building, meeting the call handler who took the call from Zac, meeting an officer who attended the incident, and met some of the police dogs who were off duty.

Chief Constable Richard Cooper then met with Zac and his mum, and the brave boy was presented with a Chief Constable’s Commendation, which is awarded to individuals who demonstrate exceptional bravery, outstanding courage and actions that go beyond what is normally expected.

Chief Constable Cooper said: “I am delighted to present Zac with this award following what must have been an extremely frightening experience for such a young boy.

“For a 12-year-old to react in such a calm and mature manner is magnificent and I would like to express my gratitude for his actions that day.

“His display of bravery certainly extinguished any danger to them both, but also that of other members of the public who were on the road that day.”