A group of Army Cadets on their way to attend a first aid competition with three of their instructors were called into action at the scene of a road accident.

They used their first aid skills to help the victims of the crash, one of whom was trapped in his vehicle.

Lieutenant Annette Geyser, 36, an advertising executive at the Dorset Echo, said: “This is the first time that I have been involved in an incident of such a serious nature. “At the scene I found that all of my first aid training kicked in and I was quite calm. It was a really good feeling to know that, thanks to my training, I was able to help.”

Regimental Sergeant Major Bill Cadman, 53, said “We were on our way to the competition and as we came over the brow of the hill we saw a road traffic accident in front of us.

“We immediately pulled over to offer assistance. There were three casualties to deal with. One of them had been thrown from the vehicle and the driver was trapped.

“As well as being an instructor in the Army Cadet Force I am a retained firefighter and my immediate thoughts on assessing the situation was that we would need the fire service as the driver would need cutting from the vehicle.

“Myself, Sgt Martin Gulis and Lt Geyser checked and reassured the casualties and took control of the situation until the emergency services arrived on the scene near Bourton in North Dorset.”