A 12-year-old schoolboy has told how he suffered a badly gashed leg when rescuing a youngster from the sea off Canvey.

Allen Felton, from Daarle Avenue, Canvey, fought off exhaustion as he pulled the boy to safety when he got into trouble off the island.

He was at the beach near the Concorde Cafe along Eastern Esplanade with a friend when the near-tragedy struck.

The plucky 12-year-old said: "We saw the boy swimming about with a little girl in the water. Suddenly the girl started screaming 'he's in trouble', so I part walked, part swam out to him. My foot became stuck between two rocks and got quite cut up. I was tired by the time I got to him.

"He was a small lad and pretty worried and needed help to return to the shore, so I put him on my shoulders and headed back. By the time I got back I was exhausted.

"When the coastguard arrived they spoke to us and bandaged both of us up. The cuts on my foot and leg were gushing blood and he was cut as well.

"I didn't know the girl who ran to get help had been refused the use of the phone until I read the story in the paper."

Allen added: "If the coastguard had not been called, or no-one had been there, he would have been a goner.

"He was only a small lad and the water would have swept over him."

Mum Ros Felton praised her son but admitted she and her husband were somewhat disbelieving when he came home with his story.

She said today (Friday): "When he told us 'I saved someone today' we thought he was joking. He has been swimming since he was two and has lots of swimming certificates.

"But when he showed us all the cuts on his feet and up his shins, and then last night we saw the story in the paper, we knew it was true.

"Everyone is so quick to condemn when youngsters do something bad, but when they do something good, they should get recognition. I'm very proud of him."

Mrs Felton criticised Concorde Cafe owner Mr Harvey, who allegedly refused to allow a girl call for help from his phone.

She said: "I just can't understand why he would not let them use his telephone to call the coastguard. There must only be a couple of incidents a year, if that."

Plucky - proud parents Allan and Ros Felton didn't believe their son Allen had rescued a boy in trouble from the sea</STRONG

Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.