A papergirl has been hailed by police after her actions while delivering newspapers saved the life of an elderly man.

Teenager, Naomi Jupp, from Christchurch, noticed something was out of the ordinary at the man's address while doing her paper round on Tuesday. (September 15)

Noticing the paper wouldn't go all the way through the letterbox, the 15-year-old deliberately left it half hanging out – so she could tell if the homeowner had picked it up the following day.

When she returned and saw it was still there, she called Dorset Police to raise her concerns.

After officers attended the Christchurch address, they gained entry and found an elderly man in need of urgent medical attention.

Neighbourhood Police Inspector Nick Lee said: "Naomi’s actions saved this gentleman’s life and she should feel incredibly proud of herself. The award is our way of recognising this."

Naomi, who was recognised with the Neighbourhood Inspector’s Special Recognition Award, said: "I have put the paper half in before when I have been worried about some of my other customers.

"Luckily I’ve never had to take action before.

“This time when I noticed it was still hanging out, I just felt that there was something wrong and that I should report it, so I called 101 as soon as I could.”

Meanwhile, Katherine Jupp, Naomi’s mother, said: “Naomi has been delivering newspapers for two years and continued throughout lockdown as she felt it was important to keep supporting people in the community.

“She’s always been a caring, thoughtful and observant person.

"I’m extremely proud of her.”

Inspector Lee said police officers are trained to be inquisitive and look closely for signs of vulnerability, and that Naomi’s actions certainly echoed this.

He added: “We should all look out for each other, particularly during the current situation with Covid-19. Like Naomi, don’t be afraid to take action if you think someone might need help.”

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said: “This was a fantastic response and I’d like to offer my praise to Naomi for taking the initiative to raise the alarm about something that concerned her.

“This was an excellent example of a young person looking out for members of her community, and we should all be inspired by her actions.”