By Jolene Hill

jolene.hill@essnmedia.co.uk

Two schoolboys who helped a distressed lady in the wake of a suspected burglary have been awarded for their kind deed.

Year 8 students Jack Hibbert and James Wheeler came to the rescue while heading home from school at Oasis Academy in Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon.

They heard an alarm going off so they ran to see what was happening and found an elderly lady leaving her home in Lacey Drive, sobbing and crying.

Jack spoke to her and as she feared she had been burgled, James called the police.

The two boys then went into the house to check for the intruder.

Jack, 12, from the Valley Park area of Croydon, said: "We went into the house and I thought I heard a noise in the kitchen and the back door was open.

"I was kind of scared and thought somebody might have escaped through there.

"We went tiptoeing upstairs because we didn't want to be heard. I got James to open the doors."

James, 13, who lives off High Street in Croydon, said: "I was scared. It was around 5pm and really dark, as all the electricity had gone in the house. We didn't have torches.

"We were creeping round the house trying to be quiet."

They could not find anyone inside the house so sat down with the lady to reassure her until police arrived to investigate the incident on December 10.

Jack added: "She was crying and said her husband usually sorted these things out but couldn't anymore because he had died.

"There was a heart machine beside her and she said she should use it because she could have a heart attack.

"And she was Polish so couldn't speak much English."

The two boys were given Citizenship Commendations at a school assembly just before Christmas.

They were presented with certificates and citizenship award badges to wear on their blazers.

Jack and James are the first students the Academy has given the award to.

Head teacher John Murphy said: "I am extremely proud of the two students who demonstrated courage and common sense in helping the lady, given their age."