Award for Leyland hero cadet Zoe Hampson after quick thinking and life-saving help

Leyland Army cadet Zoe Hampson was travelling with her mum when she noticed cars stopped ahead of her with their hazards lights on.

There appeared to be debris on the road from a motorcycle and people in a ditch at the side of the road.

Zoe, 16, who was returning home from the cadets, immediately got out of the car to help using skills she had learnt as an army cadet.

She helped to put the casualty who was in the ditch into the recovery position, talking to and calming the accident victim - who was very distressed and trying to move - until the ambulance arrived.

Zoe passed on relevant medical information to the paramedics who attended the scene in Bretherton.

Her actions were also praised by fire brigade chiefs.

The casualty suffered severe injuries and is still recovering in hospital some significant time later.

Zoe, from Tarleton, is a staff sergeant with the Lancashire Army Cadet Force.

She received a certificate for Praiseworthy First Aid from the force’s Deputy Commandant Colonel Gareth Wright as a result of her deeds.

Her mother Emily,said: “I was in my vehicle and hadn’t even come to a standstill when she literally jumped out of the car. She said ‘I’m first aid trained, I’ve got to go’.

"She jumped into action - there was no stopping her.”

Cadet executive officer Tony Armstrong, based at force headquarters in Fulwood, said the certificates are rarely handed out. “It’s got to be something pretty exceptional,” he said.

“We’ve done two in a year.”

Zoe, a pupil at Penwortham Priory Academy, is currently in Barbados on an exchange visit with the Lancashire Army Cadet Force.

Mr Armstrong said the force was “very proud” of her.

“She’s very capable,” he said. “We teach our cadets first aid of part of their syllabus and from what she was taught she was able to put this into action.

“Doing what she did is what we would have expected her to do.”

Lancashire ACF said in a message on social media: “All our Cadets receive First Aid Training and Zoe had just completed her Senior First Aid Award, well done Zoe from a very proud County.”

The force posted Zoe’s exploits on the Leyland Hub public facebook page, which sparked praise through a number of users’ comments.

One said: “Brilliant, well done Zoe. Your an inspiration to others to follow.”

Another said: “Nice to read a positive post about a young person in Leyland. Well done.”