THREE teenage boys saved the life of a pensioner after he fell into a Northumberland burn.

Danny Sinton and Gareth Davies, both 16, and Ross Moore, 17, rescued 78-year-old stroke victim Les Jobson from the water at Belford on New Year’s Eve.

Mr Jobson was submerged in the burn, apart from his nose and mouth, and could not move.

Last night he expressed his gratitude to the boys for saving his life, with his partner saying he would not have survived a minute longer in the freezing cold water.

One of the trio was remaining modest, saying it had just been “three young lads that helped a man out of the water”.

Former council wagon driver Mr Jobson, who suffered a stroke 13 years ago, was clearing moss from the point where the Belford Burn meets the back garden of his Dinningside home on New Year’s Eve.

A stone gave way and he fell around five feet into the burn.

Mr Jobson was lying on his back in the icy stream, with only his nose and mouth above water, and unable to move.

“I was panicking all right, because I could not get up,” he said.

Danny, Gareth and Ross, all of whom live in the village, were walking home from playing football, a route which took them past the burn.

Danny, a student at Berwick High School, spotted Mr Jobson in the water. He kicked his way through the pensioner’s fence and rushed into the water.

Gareth, who goes to the same school, and Ross, a student at Newcastle College, waited at the side of the burn to help lift Mr Jobson from the water.

Danny, who plays rugby for Alnwick, used his strength to drag the pensioner, weighed down by his wet clothes, to where the trio could get him out.

Gareth and Ross then helped Danny lift Mr Jobson on to the bank.

Danny said: “I was only in a couple of minutes, when I got out I was absolutely freezing. I could not tell you what he must have been like.”

Mr Jobson’s partner Mary Nesbit, 69, took him inside, with the boys continuing on their journey as if nothing had happened.

Mr Jobson has now recovered and Ms Nesbit wanted the boys to be recognised for what they had done.

She approached Belford Community Group, which had engraved plaques made for each of the trio.

These were presented at a celebratory meal for the boys and their families at the village’s Blue Bell hotel, hosted free of charge by the establishment.

Mr Jobson said last night: “They were grand. Danny was straight in.”

Ms Nesbit added: “He would not have survived another minute in that water, it was ice. I feel they must be recognised because there is such a lot of bad press for youngsters.

“I think they should be recognised when they did something right instead of being knocked all the time. They were helping somebody they did not know.”

Danny said he had been amazed at the suggestion the boys had saved Mr Jobson’s life.

“I just see it as three young lads that helped a man get out of the water.”

Their actions were highlighted at his school yesterday and Danny said it was nice to get “recognition”.