A TEN-year-old Poole boy has been praised for helping an older friend in difficulty at a swimming pool.

Conner Clarke spotted pal Joe Fearney-Hough, 13, struggling in the deep end at Rossmore Leisure Centre and rushed to his aid.

Joe’s mum Lola Foot, 32, said: “Joe panicked because he couldn’t touch the bottom, Conner saw him in danger and dived in and dragged him to the side.”

Conner, a pupil at Talbot Heath Middle School, was given lifeguarding lessons by the Everyone Active centre as a reward for his efforts. His mum Simone Clarke said: “He never said a word. We were so proud of him when we found out what had happened.”

She added: “The manager actually took him to one side and said ‘congratulations that was brilliant’.”