Award for postman who saved pensioner's life using CPR

Dan Howells with S Club members Bradley McIntosh, Jon Lee and Tina Barrett at the BHF Heart Hero Awards

A postman who saved a pensioner's life has been hailed as a CPR hero.

Dan Howells was sorting through the post at the Royal Mail Stourbridge Delivery Office in November last year when Darryl Taylor, who was looking for a parcel, collapsed.

The postal worker sprang into action using the life-saving skills he had learned 15 years before as a football coach.

He has been given the British Heart Foundation CPR Hero award.

The 42-year-old from Stourbridge said: "Instead of panicking I fortunately reacted straight away - as I was on my own, it wasn't like I could ask anyone else."

Dan Howells learned CPR as a football coach 15 years ago

When ambulance crews arrived about 15 minutes later, Mr Howells had got the 79-year-old breathing again before he was taken to hospital.

The postman said: "It was just right time, right place but you never know what's going to happen or what's round the corner and it has made me realise how important CPR training is and that learning this easy skill really could save someone's life."

He received the award at the British Heart Foundation's Heart Hero Awards ceremony, which took place on 6 December in London.

The ceremony was attended by a star-studded guest list including Pippa Middleton, Vernon Kay and David Seaman, amongst others.

Isabelle Kidder, British Heart Foundation (BHF) survival programme delivery manager, said: "All of us here at the BHF are really proud of Dan - he is so deserving of the CPR Hero award he won at our Heart Hero Awards."