AN Abertillery schoolboy whose mum suddenly died three years ago has been given a prestigious award by his school for showing "steel and determination".

Eleven-year-old Tomos Phillips, a pupil at Abertillery Primary School, was awarded the Thomas Groombridge Award for Resilience and Perseverance at a ceremony at the school.

The prestigious Thomas Groombridge award was set up in memory of the primary school's popular teacher Mr Groombridge who died in 2013.

Last year's winner of the award was pupil Ellie Rose.

The school said Tomos was honoured with the award after "excelling during a difficult period in his life" after the sudden death of mum Lisa in December 2012. Despite undergoing a great deal of trauma, the school said he showed "steel and determination" within his school life over the past two and a half years.

Tomos' grandmother, Norma Parsons, of Brynithel, said: "All the family are very proud of Tomos winning this award, he has gone through a lot since the death of his mam Lisa in December 2012.

“Mr Groombridge was one of Tomos’s favourite teachers and to win the award makes it very special.”

Year six pupil Tomos, who turned eleven this month, starts a new chapter in his life next term as he embarks in the first year of Abertillery Comprehensive.