LOOKING back to the week of December 4 to December 10, five years ago...

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy was recognised for his bravery after calling 999 to help his grandad who had collapsed on the sofa, in December 2018.

Lucas Carter Wright, from Ingleby Barwick, near Middlesbrough, was able to provide enough detail to North Yorkshire Police’s force control room communications officer Gabby Rudge-Cox to enable her to determine what action was needed after his grandad appeared unresponsive at his home in Catterick Village.

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The operator sent a blue light response to Lucas’s grandad’s Catterick address after the five-year-old had given the information needed.

Ms Rudge-Cox said: “Lucas was brilliant on the phone. He managed to give me enough information to determine that his grandad was in need of an emergency blue light response and he carried out all the instructions I gave him, like making sure the door was open to enable officers to get into his grandad’s house.

“He’s amazing – to be five-years-old and be in the middle of a scary and confusing situation, but to know to call 999 shows what an absolute superstar he is and I’m sure his family are extremely proud.”

Seven minutes after Lucas dialled 999, PC James Bowie arrived at the address and thanks to Lucas, was able to enter the property and help his grandad.

He said: “I’d like to say a huge well done to Lucas “When I arrived at the house, he was able to tell me exactly where his grandad was and the fact he had been unresponsive, which led me to determine he was in a diabetic coma.

“Thanks to Lucas, I knew what action to take to help his grandad, who thankfully responded immediately.

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There’s no doubt that Lucas’s quick thinking meant his grandad got the help he urgently needed.”

An intrepid explorer successfully helped one of his favourite charities climb a fundraising mountain.

‘Seven Summit’ Steve Graham was unable to collect an accolade for his efforts at the annual awards ceremony of St Teresa’s Hospice in 2018 because he was tackling Mount Vinson, a 16,000ft peak in Antarctica, the coldest and most windswept continent on Earth.

Even to reach the base camp required a 14-hour flight and a trip on a Russian cargo plane which had to land on a natural blue ice runway.

His exploits came on the heels of returning from climbing Mount Everest, which raised £15,000 for St Teresa’s Hospice and Prostate Cancer UK.

Also helping the charity along the way this year was Reid Street Primary School, who embraced the efforts of Seven Summit Steve by studying his explorations, recreating in the playground the number of steps he took to reach the top of Everest and making a papier mache mountain, raising almost £3,200 in the process.

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Hundreds of shoppers enjoyed an icy treat on Saturday, December 8, 2018, when stunning sculptures were set up around Darlington town centre.

A set of angel wings, a frozen Rudolph, Aladdin’s magic lamp, a steam locomotive and Olaf the snowman took centre stage when the temporary pieces of artwork popped up along the ice trail.

Young and old were able to explore the town centre as they followed a specially created map to connect the ten ice sculptures.