A quick-thinking papergirl who came to the rescue of a pensioner who had fallen in her home has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

Schoolgirl Maria Butterfant had been doing her paper round for just five days when she heard calls for help as she delivered newspapers near her home on Aylsham Road, Norwich.

On investigation the 13-year-old found the woman was lying prone behind her front door and so she alerted her parents who immediately called an ambulance.

Maria waited with the elderly woman until paramedics arrived to take her for treatment at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where she was later released.

Now she has been put forward in the News Deliverer of the Year category in the upcoming National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) Awards, organised by the NFRN.

Maria and her mum will travel to London for the glittering awards ceremony at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel on 15 October.

Now into their tenth year, the NFRN Awards recognise excellence in news and convenience retailing, rewarding those who have made an outstanding contribution to the sector.