Two young sisters have been rewarded for their calmness and bravery in making a vital 999 call after seeing their mother collapse at their home.

When 40-year-old Penny Gleadell collapsed in Wighton, near Wells, on March 8, her daughters Terri and Hallie – aged 10 and 9 respectively – knew exactly what to do.

Without panicking, they called 999, gave their address, and carried out checks on their mother, who was breathing but unconscious.

There were no other adults in the house, so the sisters knew it was up to them to organise help.

Call handler Dani Cobley, who works for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST), said: 'It can be difficult to even get adults to find out information, such as whether the patient is breathing, but Terri and Hallie were brilliant.

'They worked together to explain what had happened to their mum, where they lived, and kept monitoring her condition. I was very impressed with how calm and brave they were – they should be very proud of themselves.'

Terri said: 'Mum had said she had a bad headache then she stopped responding. We knew to phone 999 and I spoke to Dani on the phone while Hallie ran back and forth to check on mum to see whether or not she was breathing. It wasn't that scary because Dani was really nice.'

The girls' mother said: 'I'm very proud of them and they were delighted to meet Dani. They've told all their friends what to do in an emergency and are now hoping to learn first aid so they can help other people who fall unwell.'

The two young callers were presented with the chief executive officer's certificate of commendation for bravery during a visit Fakenham ambulance station.

The sisters' call to the EEAST call centre in Norwich was one of an average 60-80 calls that handlers expect to take during each 12-hour shift.

If you know of a child who has had to call an ambulance and deserves recognition for their bravery, contact the ambulance service on communications@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Have you been involved in a 999 drama? Contact newsdesk@archant.co.uk.