The mother of six-year-old Alfie Dingley, who lives with severe epilepsy, discovered he would receive “life saving” access to medical cannabis oil live on television.

Hannah Deacon was being interviewed on ITV News as Home Secretary Sajid Javid spoke about her son’s case in parliament.

Presenter Nina Hossain told Deacon: “We are hearing that what he’s going to say to you is that a licence will be issued for Alfie”.

Reacting in real-time to the news, Deacon said through tears: “It’s amazing news, thank you so much for letting me know… thank you to the prime minister.”

Watch the clip, above.

HuffPost UK reported on Saturday mounting calls for Alfie to be given access to medicinal marijuana after another youngster with epilepsy was given the drug.

Focus shifted to Dingley after the Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced on Saturday that he would give the family of Billy Caldwell, 12, from Northern Ireland, a temporary medical licence to use cannabis oil to help ease his crippling seizures.

Javid used his emergency powers to grant a so-called Schedule 1 licence to allow Billy to access the treatment immediately, on the advice of his doctors.