A BARRY schoolboy has been hailed a hero after saving his young brother's life - twice.

Brave ten-year-old schoolboy David Warren has stopped his brother Scott, 8, from falling into a diabetic coma twice in two months.

And now in recognition of his quick-thinking actions he is being put forward for the prestigious Barry Citizen of the Year award.

Proud mum Jayne Ford, 30, told the News: "David is an absolute darling - without him, I'm sure Scott would have died. He knows we are proud of him but I feel he deserves a public honour as well."

Jayne, who lives with the boys at Dale Court, explained how the drama unfolded.

She said: "Last Friday, David and Scott were sleeping over my parents' house in Ty Ffynon. They share a bed and David woke to find Scott fitting. He jumped out of bed, and woke my parents to help."

Grandfather Philip 'Taffy' Turner added: "When Scott's blood sugar drops, he goes into hypoglemia. He bites the inside of his cheeks and doesn't know where he is.

"We have to get a gel with a high sugar content into his mouth. He doesn't like this and struggles against it. But if it's not done in time, he'll go into a coma and we'd have to get him to hospital."

David helped his brother in a similar fashion in an incident about six weeks earlier. But the Oakfield Primary School pupil insisted he had done nothing special.

He said: "Scott was grunting and twitching, and I knew he wasn't well again. So I got just my grandparents to help."

Grateful Jayne thinks he is too modest.

She said: "I'm glad David is watching out for Scott. There are very few warning signs before an attack, especially if Scott is asleep. When Scott went to bed that night, we tested his blood sugar and it was fine. But by the morning it had dropped. The diabetic nurse said it was only David's prompt action that prevented Scott from falling into a coma.

"I'm so proud of David. I'm entering him into the Barry Citizen of the Year award, because I really do think that without him, Scott may not be here now."

* There is still time to nominate that special person for Barry Citizen of the Year. Call into the Barry and District News office, 156, Holton Road for your application form and send it to the Barry Town Council, 7, Gladstone Road, Barry CF62 8NA

* Or you can vote on-line on the Dow Corning website www.dowcorning.com Click on the 'search' option on the top of the page, and type in 'Barry Citizen of the Year.' But hurry up, the closing date is Monday April 8.