TWO heroic schoolboys have been praised for helping save the life of a man found collapsed on a path near a Wirral beauty spot.

Calday Grange Grammar pupils Christian Johnson, 12, and Joshua Darby, 11, were walking home from school after a cross-country session on Wednesday afternoon, when they spotted the man lying face down on a path leading to the memorial on Grange Hill in West Kirby.

They called an ambulance and asked two passers-by, David and Jane Kennedy, to help save the man, who said his name was Anthony White and was taken to hospital for checks.

The two boys were praised for their actions during a school assembly.

Wirral Globe:

Joshua and Christian at school today. Picture: Paul Heaps

Recalling the moment they found the man, Christian – who helped put Anthony into the recovery position - told the Globe: "At first we thought he was dead, so we called an ambulance and asked two people to help.

"He had collapsed and said he needed his inhaler. We gave him his inhaler.

"We don't know how long he'd been there, but when the paramedics came they said that had he been left there any longer he could have died."

Joshua, who was down at the bottom of the path waiting for the ambulance to arrive, added: “It’s good to be called heroes, but it feels a bit weird.

“What happened is all a bit shocking, because it’s not what you expect to find on your average walk home from school.”

Praising the boys, Calday Grammar headteacher Mark Rodway said: "The first I knew about this was when we received a phone call from Mr Kennedy, the man who had helped them, to tell us about what Christian and Joshua had done.

“He enthused about how mature Christian and Joshua had both been when faced with something of a dilemma.

“He added that they had been a tremendous credit to themselves and also the school.

“It is always a pleasure to receive telephone calls such as these, which praise the excellent conduct of our students outside the school environment and I am exceedingly proud of Christian and Joshua.”

David Kennedy, who along with wife Jane helped the boys to save the man, added: "I congratulate the boys for what they did.

"They played an absolutely amazing role in helping to save the man's life and I had to call the school to let them know what had happened.

"The fact that they spotted the gentlemen and did everything they could to help is fantastic. If they are indicative of Calday pupils, then the school's staff and students can feel very proud of themselves."