Young lifesavers have been awarded the highest possible accolade for children by St John Ambulance.

Six youngsters from the Braintree and Bocking unit, known as badgers, have received the super badger award.

The award is the highest recognition a St John Ambulance badger, aged between seven and ten, can be given.

Thomas March, Alexander Myburgh, Carl Robinson and twins Maisie and Finley Petts, all ten, and Danika Myburgh, nine, were recognised at an awards ceremony last month.

Member Hannah Wright, eight, was named badger of the year.

Hannah has attended camps and sleepovers with the service and has taken part in all the activities the Braintree team were involved in.

Kieran Saul, unit youth lead of the Braintree and Bocking Badger sett, said: “I am extremely proud of our six badgers who have completed all 12 of the badger topics and got their super badger paw.

“We are also extremely proud of our badger of year who has worked very hard throughout the year and of all the other badgers who completed the teach the difference first aid course either at level one or level two. It is an amazing achievement for all of them.

“We have got a handful of badgers moving up to cadets in September and I and the rest of the Braintree badgers team would like to wish them the best of luck with joiningcCadets and with what the rest of St John Ambulance has to offer for them.”

Maisie and Finley have already joined the Braintree and Bocking cadet unit for ten-to 17-year-old volunteers and Thomas, Alexander and Carl are due to join them in September.

Danika is now a follow me badger, meaning she will assist with the running of the badger sett working with the adult team there.