THREE teenagers have been given an award for bravery after trying to save the life of an 83-year-old man.

Nicky Wishart, 15, Tyler Walker, 16, and Ollie Hinchliffe, 17, have been honoured by Thames Valley Police.

They were sitting on a bench in an Eynsham park off Oxford Road last August when they noticed Arnold Gwilliam struggling in a stream.

They rushed over to help and called 999. When he fell unconscious they tried to revive him until emergency services arrived.

Mr Gwilliam died later at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital but his widow June, 85, later called for the boys to get an award for their efforts.

Now they have been recognised this month with a police commendation from Pcso Helen Keen, who took over CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, from the boys until paramedics arrived.

His widow told the Oxford Mail in September: “It was comfort for Arnold when he needed it.”

Oxford Mail:

Arnold Gwilliam

Mrs Gwilliam was at the Witney police commendation ceremony to see the teenagers get their awards.

Bartholomew School pupil Nicky, of Pelican Place, said: “She congratulated us. I was very proud.”

His mum Virginia Phelps, 44, said: “This will follow him through his life.

“What they did was absolutely amazing.”

Pcso Keen, of Eynsham neighbourhood police team, said: “It is a big thing for those lads and I am glad they got something because they deserved it.

“It was incredibly brave, brave beyond their years.

“It is a shock to come across something like that but they acted so quickly. That poor chap had the best chance he could have had. It was just a sad ending.”

Tyler, a plumbing student at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, felt proud, adding: “It was nice to be commended.”

His mother Sue Walker, 46, of Evans Road, said: “We were so proud of all of them. You hope you would never be in that situation but they dealt with it very well.”

The teenagers were invited to Mr Gwilliam’s funeral and Witney MP David Cameron later wrote to them to express his admiration.