A MUM has described a schoolboy who came to the aid of her autistic son as “an angel in disguise”.

Sam Hammond was walking her eight-year-old son Leland Foot home from school when he cut his head.

With both mum and son starting to panic, Dunbar Grammar School pupil Ben Totten stepped forward.

Sam said: “We were walking towards the Jet Garage on Belhaven Road when Leland ended up walking into a metal sign which ripped the top of his head.

“Panic set in for myself and I ran into the garage to get some cloths.

“When I came out, there was a young boy from the Grammar School who had approached Leland and started explaining he was a first aider and asking if he could be of assistance.

“I explained to him what had happened and that Leland was autistic and that was why he was quite distressed and Ben just took over.

“He is pretty much an angel in disguise.

“He was just calm and collected and handled the situation brilliantly.”

An ambulance was called for Leland, who was taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

The youngster, who is in P4 at Dunbar Primary School, needed to have the wound, which is under his hairline, glued shut.

Sam, of Wingate Crescent, told the Courier her son did get “a bit of a fright” but added: “He is absolutely fine now.

“He got his head glued and he is back to his normal self.”

The mum-of-three later phoned Dunbar Grammar School to thank Ben for his help during the frightening incident, which took place at about 3.40pm last Wednesday.

She said: “I’ve seen on social media a lot of negative things towards kids his age.

“That’s why I felt compelled to contact the school to commend one of their students and to show that they are not all bad.”

Ben, who is depute head boy at the nearby secondary school, was walking home after helping set up for a school concert in nearby Belhaven Parish Church Hall.

The teenager, who plays bass guitar, learnt first aid while undertaking his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at his former school in Fife and through taekwondo.

The black belt said that Sam was just returning from the garage with some tissues when he approached Leland.

He said: “I introduced myself to her and said ‘I have got a bit of first aid training, do you want me to take a look at him?’

“I could see she was panicking and he was in floods of tears. I just wanted to help make sure he was OK.”

Ben told the Courier there was “a lot of blood” and because of the bang on the head he felt it was best that Leland was checked over at hospital and called an ambulance.

The modest teenager said: “I didn’t do it to go and get praise, I was just helping a boy. I didn’t go over and help him so I could say about it afterwards. I was just helping him out, as I hope most people would do.”

Claire Slowther, headteacher at the secondary school, was full of praise for her student.

She said: “As a school, we are incredibly proud of Ben.

“He is a young person who amazes us on a regular basis in terms of his schoolwork, extra-curricular with his taekwondo and the contribution he makes to the music department.

“He is so unassuming and so modest and we are delighted to recognise him.”

Ben’s mum, Jane, told the Courier the family were proud of the S6 pupil.

She said: “We are extremely proud of him.

“It was nice the fact that he did not just walk past.

“I was not there and he has not told us very much to be honest but by the sounds of it he took control and helped the lady and the little boy.

“They were both very, very grateful.

“I am extremely proud that he did his best to help them.”