POLICE have praised five schoolgirls who came to the aid of an elderly woman who was knocked off her feet by a gust of wind.

The incident happened on Stokesley High Street at 1pm on Tuesday.

Police say Chloe Beales, Chloe Clemmit, Chloe Bayliss, Charleigh Bennett and Holly Watson- Porter of Stokesley School rushed to assist the woman.

"As a result of the fall the female sustained an injury to the back of her head, the girls assisted by administering basic first aid, calling an ambulance," said a Stokesley Police spokesman.

"They managed to get hold of a blanket to keep the female warm, also keeping her talking and conscious until the emergency services arrived.

"Despite the girls being visibly upset due to the amount of blood at the scene they managed to remain calm and their actions greatly assisted the elderly female.

"Members of the public commented on how well the girls had behaved during the incident and they are a credit to the local community.

"We would like to thank all the girls involved for their quick response and actions on assisting the injured female."