Police have praised the actions of a schoolboy after he helped them to identify a stranger that tried to get through the gates of a school by drawing a picture of him.
Ryan Cook, 10, was at school in Lemington when he was approached by a man who he had never seen before.
The stranger was trying to get inside Ryan's school, Lemington Riverside Primary School, but Ryan told his mum and dad about the man and what he had said to him.
Upon hearing that, Ryan's parents immediately contacted the police who asked that Ryan draw a sketch of what the man looked like.
In his picture, he showed a bald man without a beard, wearing a jacket, pants, and shoes.
Eventually, it was discovered that the man who had tried to get into the school was not a threat and was - in actual fact - an official visitor.
The police and school staff were satisfied with this explanation and wound up their investigation once they were convinced that no-one else had been trying to gain access to the school grounds.
However, they pointed out that it is important to report concerns to parents and staff just in case.
With that in mind, Northumbria Police presented Ryan with a special certificate for his sleuthing work. It's even signed by the Chief Constable of the force.
Sgt Ashley Palmer, from the Newcastle North Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "It is an absolute pleasure to be able to present Ryan with a commendation for a fine piece of detective work last week.
"He did absolutely the right thing to report his concerns to his teachers and parents and he showed great maturity to pick up on what he considered to be suspicious behaviour.
"When his parents contacted the police our contact handler asked if he could draw a picture and he was more than happy to do anything possible to assist us.
"Our officers were deployed to the school and, thanks to the picture and the description he provided, the school were able to identify the man in question.
"He had been at the school on a pre-arranged visit but Ryan was not to know that and his picture was vital to us tracking that person down.
"I don't know whether he would consider a future career with the police but he certainly has a detective's brain. If he doesn't want to pull on the uniform then he could definitely find a job as a police sketch artist."
Ryan said: "I had a really good time and I think my teachers will be really proud of me for telling my mum and dad about what I had seen.
"I am happy that I was able to help the police and that it wasn't anything bad in the end. I would definitely do the same again.
"It was really fun to meet the police dogs and have a look inside the police van. The officers were really nice and I was really happy about my certificate."
Keep up the good work, Ryan LAD.
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