"Pub landlady saved my dad's life"

A landlady has been praised for saving the life of a pub regular who suffered a cardiac arrest as he watched the FA Cup football on the pub's telly at the weekend.

Barbara Kozsda is the landlady of the Gardeners Arms in Middleton - and sprung into action to give emergency CPR to regular Paul Fletcher, 64, after he collapsed in the pub on Sunday.

Grandad-of-four Paul is a lifelong Liverpool fan, so had arrived at the pub as soon as it opened on Sunday to settle down to cheer on his team from kick off at 12noon against Cardiff City.

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But after only ten minutes of the game, he started to complain of chest pains before collapsing on the pub floor - prompting quick-thinking Barbara to give CPR for 12 minutes while she waited for an ambulance crew to arrive.

Barbara said: "I'm just happy I was there to be able to help, the biggest thing for me was that my brain didn't block and I was able to carry on with the CPR until the ambulance came, and that I did something good."

Emergency crew praised her efforts - and Paul's family say they can never thank her enough for her actions.

Dad-of-two Paul lives alone in Middleton since his wife died 7 years ago - and his family believe that going to the pub on Sunday is what saved his life.

Paul's son, also named Paul but known as Fletch, 41, said: "If he'd not gone out for the early kick off he would have died alone at home, there would have been no-one there to help him.

"The irony here is the pub saved his life you could say.

"The biggest thank you is to Barbara - the CPR she carried out for 12 minutes 100 per cent saved his life.

"The doctors even said the CPR he received was as good as any he would have had in hospital."