A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy was praised last night for coming to the rescue of his mother - for the second time.

Rhys Jones calmly dialled 999 when pregnant mum Diane lost consciousness at the family home in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

He then explained to the operator what the emergency was, answered all her questions clearly and gave precise information.

Three minutes later an ambulance arrived to take Mrs Jones to hospital, where she was successfully treated for blood pressure problems related to her pregnancy.

But Mrs Jones, 22, who is expecting a baby in June, revealed it is not the first time Rhys has helped out in an emergency.

Two years ago when she fell down the stairs, Rhys answered the phone to a friend and explained that his mum would not wake up.

The friend called an ambulance and police officers broke down a door to get to Mrs Jones, who made a full recovery.

This time Rhys, who attends Woodham Burn Infant School, even requested that the police did not attend - because he was able to open the door to ambulance staff himself.

His father, Gareth, 31, was out shopping when his wife collapsed.

He said: "We're so proud of him, he's a little hero. Without him I don't know what we would have done."

Paul Liversidge, director of accident and emergency with the North-East Ambulance Service, said he had listened to the recording of the call and was amazed by the youngster's coolness.

"Rhys knew exactly what to do," he said. "He didn't panic, and followed all the instructions. We should congratulate this little chap.

"It shows the importance of teaching young people at an early age how to contact the emergency services for assistance."