A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy from a North Yorkshire village tried to save his mum when she collapsed from a severe asthma attack after driving him home from school.

Edward Shallcross, of Coneysthorpe, near Malton, called a family friend for help when he found his mother, Joy, collapsed in the front seat of the family car.

Mrs Shallcross, 41, a practice nurse at Rillington and Sherburn Health Surgery, was taken by ambulance to York District Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.

Her husband, James Shallcross, spoke today of how proud he was of his son's brave and intelligent actions.

He said: "I was very proud of Edward because he had done everything so well to sort it out.

"There was nothing more he could have done, or that anyone else could have done."

Mr Shallcross said his wife had suffered from asthma and in the last few years had been diagnosed with a number of complications, including epilepsy.

But he said she had always remained strong, despite her illnesses.

Paying tribute, he said: "Joy was a very practical girl.

"She was very confident, but at the same time she was willing to help. She was very generous and would help wherever possible.

"She was a wonderful mum. Joy was very creative and used to make fantastic birthday cakes with teddy bears and trains and dalmatians. She was just everything you could want really."

Mrs Shallcross was a parent governor at Ampleforth Primary School, where three generations of her family had attended.

Both Edward, and his seven-year-old sister, Eve, are now pupils at the school, and their grandmother had been school secretary.

Mr Shallcross, a project controller at Portakabin, York, said the family had received a large number of letters and cards from Joy's many friends.

He said: "There have been so many friends who have helped and supported us in the last few days.

"The Castle Howard Estate organised the church flowers and everyone has helped - it has just been fantastic."

Mrs Shallcross's funeral took place at All Saint's Church, Appleton-le-Street, near Malton, on Friday.

Updated: 11:25 Monday, June 24, 2002