A 13-year-old boy who took the wheel when his mother lost consciousness has received a Pride of Britain award after steering their car to safety on the A40 in Herefordshire.

Zac, from Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, won the Child of Courage award for his actions after his mother, Nicola, fainted during a journey in which they had been travelling at 60mph.

Nicola had managed to slow the car and pull partly onto a narrow verge before losing consciousness. But the automatic gearbox remained in drive and her foot was still on the accelerator, causing the vehicle to move back towards the dual carriageway.

Zac reached across, took hold of the steering wheel and guided the car into the central reservation. He then switched off the engine and called 999, using the car’s sat-nav to give emergency services their location.

Nicola said her son had been screaming her name as the car accelerated, before realising she was not going to wake up.

“I was proud of him anyway but what he did for me that day was just absolutely amazing. If he wasn't there that day I don't think I'd be here now.”

She believes the car would otherwise have continued accelerating until it hit something, potentially head-on. She said she remained troubled by how frightened Zac must have been, while he regarded his response as a normal thing to do.

Nicola was unconscious for about seven minutes and was later found to have extremely low blood pressure. She is awaiting further cardiology tests before returning to driving.

Footballer Jack Grealish presented Zac with his award. Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham had been the first to tell him he had won, at an event at Wembley Stadium earlier this year.

Zac also met television personalities Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson and received a surprise video message from the cast of The Inbetweeners, one of his favourite programmes.