A  QUICK-thinking nine-year-old boy saved his mother's life by calling 999 when she collapsed at home.

Niall McClusky immiediately called the emergency services when his mother, Helen, collapsed spluttering and struggling for breath.

Medics say it’s due to the nine-year-old’s speedy response that she is still alive.

The single mother - who spent nine days in a coma in intensive care - said: “He is a hero. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for his quick actions.

“Everyone is really amazed with what he’s done and how he’s coped with it all.”

Ms McClusky had been struck down with epiglottitis when she collapsed at her home in Hardwick, Stockton.

The life-threating condition causes swelling to the tissue at the back of the throat, causing difficulty in breathing.

Niall, who had been playing on his Xbox(CORR) with a friend, leaped into action when he heard his mother gasping for breath.

The youngster, who attends St Mark’s Primary School in Stockton, said: “I could hear my mum spluttering and choking.

"I told my friend to go home and I called 999. An ambulance came and she was rushed to hospital.”

Ms McClusky was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees and then transferred to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.