A teenage girl has been given a special recognition award for making a life-saving call after noticing something out of the ordinary when delivering a newspaper to an elderly man’s home.

Naomi Jupp was making her regular delivery to a property in Christchurch, Dorset, on September 15 when she noticed that the newspaper would not go through the letterbox as easily as usual.

The 15-year-old was concerned the resident may not be able to collect his paper from inside the door.

To check whether her worries were warranted, Naomi left the newspaper half hanging out of the letterbox to see if it would be taken by the time she made her delivery the next day.

When she returned, she saw that it was still there and immediately called Dorset Police using 101 to report her concerns.

Following Naomi’s call, officers attended the address, gained entry and discovered an elderly man was in need of urgent medical attention. He was taken to hospital for treatment.

In recognition of the young girl’s heroic actions, officers presented her with a Neighbourhood Inspector’s Special Recognition award.

“I have put the paper half in before when I have been worried about some of my other customers,” the teenager, from Christchurch, said.

“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.”

The teenager’s mother, Katherine Jupp, 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 Nick Lee added: “Naomi’s actions saved this gentleman’s life and she should feel incredibly proud of herself. The award is our way of recognising this.

“Officers at Dorset Police are trained to be inquisitive and look closely for signs of vulnerability – Naomi’s actions have certainly echoed this.

“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.”