Weymouth pharmacy worker helped save customer's life

Fiona Shearer and an off-duty nurse helped save the life of a customer who was having a stroke

A supermarket pharmacy worker has been praised for helping save the life of a customer who collapsed in her shop.

Fiona Shearer, who works at Asda in Weymouth, and an off-duty nurse who was shopping in the store stepped in to help the woman who had been collecting medication when she began feeling ill.

It turned out she was suffering a stroke that was affecting her heart.

Her children sent flowers to Ms Shearer saying, without immediate assistance, their mother would have died.

Mrs Shearer, who is a first aider, used the store's defibrillator to monitor the woman's weakening pulse while they waited for paramedics.

The incident happened as Asda's Weymouth store in November

She said: "She was passing out. We had the defib on her - that was telling us to apply CPR.

"When we tapped her face, it stopped saying that, but her heart was stopping in between.

"If she'd been at home on her own, they said she wouldn't have survived."

Ms Shearer, who has worked at the store for four years, has now been nominated for a company award for the incident in November.

The woman she helped has since returned to the store to say thank you.

"I've seen her, given her a hug and she's looking a lot, lot better than she did that day. It was quite emotional," Ms Shearer added.

Sue Hatchyard, the store's customer trading manager, said: "I don't think you can put into words how proud we are of Fiona.

"I thought she was fabulous before this incident, but this just raises her to a whole new level."