A supermarket worker who had only just finished her first aid course helped to save her co-worker's life after she collapsed in the bakery aisle.

Debbie Handford, who works at Asda in Sittingbourne, was called to do CPR on her colleague Tara Norris, who had an angina attack.

She was helped by first-aider Tyler Collard, who relayed advice and instructions to her from a 999 call handler.

Tara says she was putting cookies on a shelf when “all of a sudden” she felt a pain in her chest and blacked out.

She explained: “I don't remember much of it at all. As far as I'm aware, my breathing was very gaspy when I was awake and very shallow when I was out, so the 999 call handler told Debbie to do CPR to regulate my breathing.

“When I woke up, I can remember the ambulance crew being there and my partner, who had been called as we live just around the corner.

“I think it must have lasted about half an hour, but seemed like only a few minutes to me.”

The mum, who has a one-year-old and a three-year-old, said that once she arrived at Medway Maritime Hospital, she thought she had just had a panic attack.

“But when they investigated further, it turned out that I'd actually had an angina attack,” she added. “Thankfully, it was only a mild one, but it was scary."

An angina attack is chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, which doesn't get enough oxygen

Tara spent 17 days in the hospital and has since returned to work, but is still on medication.

She said: “I'd like to say a massive thank you to them both for what they did on that day.

“If it wasn't for them, I don't know what would have happened. Having first aiders in the store is just so important.”

Debbie, who has worked at the store for 14 years, said: "I passed my first aid training on the Thursday and Tara's episode was on the Saturday.

“I wasn't expected to use that part of my training. I thought I'd just be doing cuts, grazes, burns, that sort of thing.

"There was a call out over the tannoy for a first aider to go to the bakery, so I went over there and saw Tara lying on the ground with people surrounding her.

"When I was doing the compressions, I was actually crying as it was so upsetting, as I've known Tara for a long time. I'm just glad that she was okay”.

Home shopping worker Tyler has worked at the store for a year and learned first aid while in the Army at 16.

The now 19-year-old said: "I'm a relatively calm person when it comes to these types of situations as I'd practised them many times while in the Army.

"Once the paramedics arrived, Tara came round very quickly, which was a relief, and she was able to walk out of the store to the ambulance."

The pair have been nominated for Asda service superstar awards following the incident.

Store manager Shah Zaman said: "I'm incredibly proud of both Debbie and Tyler for stepping in and administering CPR.

“Their calm and decisive actions were a testament to their training and compassion, and we are all grateful and proud of their efforts to help our colleague."