North Yorkshire Police in CPR plea after officers help save life

The cyclist had been travelling on the A63 between Selby and Hull on Christmas Eve

Police are urging members of the public to learn CPR after three off-duty officers helped save a man's life.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police came to the rescue of a cyclist who had gone into cardiac arrest on the A63 near Selby on Christmas Eve.

They performed CPR on the 58-year-old man and treated a head injury before he was airlifted to hospital in Hull.

Acting Chief Constable Elliot Foskett said their actions "undoubtedly had a positive impact on saving a life".

"The three officers have acted in the highest traditions of the police service," Mr Foskett said.

"As police officers, we swear an oath to protect our communities and this doesn't stop when we are off duty."

The cyclist, who had been travelling between Selby and Hull at about 12:30 GMT when the incident took place, continued to recover in hospital.

Officers performed CPR and treated the man's head injury before he was taken to hospital

A force spokesperson said: "This story is an excellent example of how vital it is to learn CPR, it can literally save a life.

"You don't have to be a police officer to know how to restart a heart."

The officers are understood to have treated the man for 45 minutes.

According to the British Heart Foundation, more than 30,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK every year, with fewer than one in ten people surviving.

Giving CPR and using a defibrillator can more than double someone's chance of survival, the charity added.