TWO schoolboys who risked their lives to save a suicidal woman at a Hampshire railway station have been honoured.

Mackenzie Melling and Maciej Andrzejewski went on to the tracks at Romsey station and successfully talked the unnamed woman out of taking her own life earlier this year.

Now both have been commended for their actions by British Transport Police’s chief constable Andrew Trotter who presented a framed certificate to each of the 14-year-olds.

Mr Trotter said: “I felt proud to honour these individuals for making a difference by going above and beyond their call of duty or reflecting the best of human nature.”

When Mackenzie and Maciej, both pupils at Romsey School, spotted the woman at the station on January 12 she appeared in a desperate and distressed state.

She told the teenagers that she wanted to end it all and seconds later walked on to the tracks.

Mackenzie, who lives in Romsey, had gone to the station to see off his mate Maciej who was waiting for a train back to his home in Southampton.

Mackenzie’s mum Chantelle said: “Realising that she was serious about what she was going to do they knew they had to help as no one else on the platform wanted to.”

Mackenzie and Maciej went onto the tracks and tried to persuade her to get back on the platform as a passenger train was due in a short time later.

Mrs Melling added: “Maciej stayed on the tracks with the woman while my son came back onto the platform to try and calm down other people who were watching. He told them what the woman wanted to do, as people were shouting to leave her alone.”

The boys managed to usher the woman back onto the platform but she headed for the tracks again.

Maciej then held her back while Mackenzie phoned police and both tried to comfort the woman until officers arrived.

“We knew we had to do something to help this lady, even though it was scary, I guess it felt like my duty as a citizen,” said Mackenzie.

Maciej added: “When you see someone in so much distress, you have to act. I just did what was necessary.”