A Malian man hailed a hero after saving a child dangling from a fourth floor balcony in Paris will be granted French citizenship.

Mamoudou Gassama met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace after a video of his daring rescue went viral on social media.

As well as being made a French citizen, the 22-year-old - who recently moved to the country in the hope of a new life - will be offered a place in the fire brigade, Mr Macron said on Monday.

Mr Macron hailed the "exceptional act", telling Mr Gassama: "You saved a child. Without you, no one knows what would have become of him.

"You need courage and the capability to do that."


Image: Emmanuel Macron with 'spiderman' hero Mamoudou Gassama

He added Mr Gassama had become an "example" because millions have viewed the astonishing act after footage was uploaded to Facebook.

The migrant admitted he was "trembling" after the rescue, but told the French president: "When I started to climb, it gave me courage to keep climbing."

Mr Gassama also received a medal and certificate for bravery on his visit to the presidential residence.

He scaled an apartment block in northern Paris on Saturday evening after seeing a four-year-old in danger.

Avec M. GASSAMA qui a sauvé samedi la vie d’un enfant en escaladant 4 étages à mains nues. Je lui ai annoncé qu’en reconnaissance de cet acte héroïque il allait être régularisé dans les plus brefs délais, et que la brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris était prête à l’accueillir. pic.twitter.com/xMpFlP1UFe — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 28, 2018

Footage shows Mr Gassama pulling himself up from balcony to balcony in a matter of seconds, while a man on the fourth floor tries to hold on to the child by leaning across from a neighbouring balcony.

On reaching the fourth floor, Mr Gassama puts one leg over the balcony before reaching out with his right arm and grabbing the child.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the child had already been rescued. A spokesman said: "Luckily, there was someone who was physically fit and who had the courage to go and get the child."

Image: The migrant scaled a Paris apartment block from the outside to save the child

The child's mother was not in Paris at the time, while it is understood the father was not at home.

He was later held for questioning by police for having left his child unattended and was due in court, it was reported.

Mr Gassama has been living illegally in France and working in construction since September last year after making a perilous journey from his homeland via Libya and Italy.

He previously told reporters he acted without thinking.

Image: The 22-year-old revealed he was 'trembling' after the rescue

"I saw all these people shouting, and cars sounding their horns. I climbed up like that and, thank God, I saved the child," he said.

"I felt afraid when I saved the child... [when] we went into the living room, I started to shake, I could hardly stand up, I had to sit down."

Prior to his visit to the Elysee Palace, Mr Gassama had already been thanked by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo in a telephone call.

"He explained to me that he had arrived from Mali a few months ago dreaming of building his life here," she said.

"I told him that his heroic act is an example to all citizens and that the city of Paris will obviously be very keen to support him in his efforts to settle in France."