A Coalville student has been nominated in the Young Braveheart of the Year Section in the Lord-Lieutenant's of Leicestershire's Award Scheme.

Tyler Hodgkinson, aged 16, attends King Edward VII High School.

Organisers say he has been nominated for the award following 'a remarkable act of bravery and selflessness at the scene of a truly distressing incident'.

Tyler has been recognised for the part he played following a bus accident in January, 2019, in which a schoolgirl sadly lost her life.

Every year, the Lord-Lieutenant's award scheme recognises the efforts and successes of 13-to-19 year-olds.But this year's category finalists will be acknowledged at an online ceremony later this month due to coronavirus restrictions.

The official citation for Tyler reads: "In January 2019, a pupil from Tyler's school named Sian Ellis was struck by a bus and killed on her way home.

"Tyler was at the front of the bus when the accident occurred and witnessed first-hand the events leading up to the accident.

"Although the scene was horrific, Tyler bravely put his own feelings aside and rang 999.

"The operator asked him to check the child's pulse and due to Tyler's training from the Army and Police cadets, he had the skills to do this.

"Unfortunately, he was aware that there was nothing more he could do but chose to stay by her until a school staff member arrived and took over.

"Remarkably, Tyler then took it upon himself to help calm the bus driver and other students in what were extreme circumstances.

"Understandably, the months following were difficult for Tyler, but he has handled the impact that the accident had on him with strength and resilience.

"A dedicated Police Cadet, Tyler often puts himself forward to speak in front of the school and within the community to raise awareness of certain issues including knife crime, drug safety and first aid.

"The way that this young man has handled the distressing incident that he was a part of is not only inspiring, but also a reflection of his strong, caring character.

"In the words of his nominator: "Tyler never complains about any task that is put forward to him and is always willing to volunteer his time to better the lives of others."

Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Michael Kapur OBE, said: "As a result of Covid-19 I had to postpone our special 'red carpet' awards evening and dinner originally planned for April."However, I am pleased to announce we will be holding a virtual event for our finalists on November 17.

"Ahead of the event, I have been sharing some of our finalists' achievements via my twitter account, to demonstrate how the young people of Leicester and Leicestershire continue to astound me with their creativity, strength of spirit and selflessness.

"I hope that the positivity and enthusiasm that shines through in their personal stories brightens your day and inspires more young people to follow their passions and encourages our local communities to continue to nurture and support the incredible young people in their midst. 

"When you see the high standards of our finalists, you can appreciate how it makes my job of deciding who should receive the overall Young Person of the Year award that much harder, and long may that remain the case."

To find out more about the awards, click LLAwards

The Lord Lieutenant's Twitter account is @LeicsLieutenant