Man looking for Mayfair 'guardian angel' who saved his life

Mathew O'Toole had been sitting on a bench when he began vomiting and sweating

A man who collapsed on a London street after suffering a stroke is hoping to track down the "guardian angel" who saved his life.

Mathew O'Toole, 47, was outside Ole & Steen on Wigmore Street in Mayfair at 08:30 BST on 10 June when it happened.

He was sitting on a bench when he began vomiting and sweating.

His wife, Georgina, 44, shared a Twitter post hoping to track down the woman who helped.

She wrote: "He started vomiting. Many people passed by. Many probably assumed that he was drunk or hungover. One lady stopped.

"She recognised the signs of a stroke, called the paramedics, and directed them to take him straight to UCH emergency stroke unit.

"If she hadn't done that, we might not have him here today. Or things could have been a lot worse than they are."

Mr O'Toole was able to return home to his family in Farnham after five days in hospital

Mr O'Toole was able to return home to his family in Farnham, Surrey, after five days in hospital, and although he is lacking some balance and coordination, he is set to make a full recovery.

"The road to recovery is long and I know there are going to be ups and downs, but it's purely because of the help that woman gave me that I am here today," he said.

"It is Father's Day tomorrow, and I could have left two children, aged 16 and 12, and a wife, but as it is I am looking forward to opening some socks."

Signs and symptoms of a stroke

One in four strokes happen to people under the age of 65, according to the charity Different Strokes. It says people should use the FAST acronym as a simple test.

• Face - has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?

• Arms - can they raise both arms and keep them there?

• Speech - is their speech slurred?

• Time to call 999 if you see any one of these signs

Other stroke symptoms include sudden loss of vision, sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, sudden memory loss or confusion, sudden dizziness or unsteadiness, or a sudden fall.

Source: Different Strokes

He said the woman, who he believes was called Dani or Danielle, was a nurse with blonde curly hair, a "kind face", and was possibly from Australia or New Zealand.

He added: "People do walk past, we don't always take the time to see what is going on around us, but if that woman hadn't stopped, I would have been dead. She was just so calming with me all the way through."

He said the family was also "so grateful" for the treatment he received from the NHS, and wanted to highlight the importance of recognising the symptoms of a stroke.