Hello, this is Ben, my daddy's poorly

Ben Rogers called for an ambulance after his father blacked out because his sugar levels had dropped to a dangerously low level.

Thanks to the information the youngster gave over the phone, paramedics from the North East Ambulance Service were able to find the family's home in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, and administer a crucial glucose injection.

When Ben's father, Mark, a 33-year-old factory worker eventually came round, he found his son entertaining the ambulance crew by giving a running commentary of the children's cartoon, Scooby Doo.

Last night, Mr Rogers and his wife, Gillian, said they were extremely proud of their young son.

Mr Rogers said: "Gillian had told him last year what to do if I passed out, but I did not expect him to remember.

"He's a really bright boy and very matter-of-fact about things, so he will probably just have accepted that was what he had to do, but I can still hardly believe it. He must have been frightened."

Mark had been working a night shift and was looking after Ben while his wife was at work.

He had eaten breakfast and administered his insulin injection, but by lunch- time he had started feeling tired and went to lie down.

He said: "I must have got either the levels of sugar in my breakfast or the amount of insulin wrong.

"I sat down and closed my eyes and the next thing I knew I was lying on the bed looking up at two paramedics.

"I've had diabetes since I was a child but this has only happened a few times, and never while I've been in the house alone with Ben.

"I'm so proud of him and what he managed to do."

He added: "The catch on the front door is really high and quite stiff, so he must have struggled to open it for them."

A spokeswoman for the ambulance service said Ben had been very brave.

"He gave all the information we needed to find him and treat his dad. We're all very impressed that someone so young knew what to do and we're just glad our team was able to help."