Two young friends rushed to help a stranger they found collapsed in an alleyway on their way to school.

Connor Peckham and Leo Paige, both 13, were walking from their homes in Valley View Road, Rochester, to Thomas Aveling School in Arethusa Road when they spotted the man.

He was lying in the alleyway behind the Shell garage in Maidstone Road and was bleeding badly from his forehead.

Scroll down for video

Connor said: “There were two girls standing there and they said to us, ‘there’s a man who’s hurt himself, what do we do?’ so we stepped in.

"I said to Leo ‘call the ambulance’ and I got him into the recovery position. All of a sudden he started having a seizure.”

The quick-thinking pair held the man’s head so he would not hurt himself further and waited for the paramedics to arrive.

Connor said: “The paramedic said if we had called five or 10 minutes later, it could have been dire consequences.”

VIDEO: School friends help unconscious man

They were with the man for about half an hour before leaving him with the ambulance crew – and still managed to make it to school on time.

The man told them his name was Dave, that he was 41 and worked at a nearby nursing home.

Neither of the boys have any formal first aid training, although Connor had some knowledge through his Scout group and from watching CBBC’s Operation Ouch, a children's TV show about the human body.

The pair, both in Year 9 at school, said they think paramedics should come into schools to teach children what to do in those situations.

Mums Marie Peckham and Kerry Paige said they were very proud of their sons. Mrs Peckham said: “It’s great to know that both our children had the courage and bravery to stop and help this man.”

A spokesman from the ambulance service said they were called at 8.15am on Wednesday to reports a man in his 40s had a head injury and was fitting.

The spokesman said: “We are always extremely grateful for any help we receive prior to our arrival at the scene and it’s vital that the patient receives quick treatment.

“It’s great that the boys were able to act quickly, dial 999 and get the man help. It’s a big well done from us, their parents should be proud of them.

“The man appears to have recovered at the scene and we wish him all the best – and thank you again to the boys, they did everything any adult should do should they come across a similar situation.”