A MAN who collapsed in a bank is appealing for the off-duty police officer who came to his aid to come forward.

Pete Perry was in the Stevenage town centre branch of Halifax bank when he started getting chest pains and blacked out.

The 75-year-old was helped by an off-duty police officer who he believes is called Paul but was unable to thank him before an ambulance arrived to take him to Lister Hospital in Stevenage.

The good samaritan was the first to react and made sure Mr Perry was put in the recovery position, before checking his pulse and ensuring he didn’t swallow his tongue.

Mr Perry, of Elm Walk in Stevenage, has a heart condition and said he was feeling stressed before he became unconscious in the bank last Monday.

“We’re so grateful Paul was there,” he said.

“It would be good to know who he is and I would love to thank him. If it hadn’t been for him who knows what would have happened. The bank staff were wonderful too.”

His wife and carer Nikki, a former health care assistant at Lister Hospital, added: “I used to work for the Lister but I just went to pieces because it was my loved one. His legs gave way and he was unconscious for about a minute.

“At first I thought he’d had a heart attack and was dead. I just freaked out but the police officer got straight in and dealt with it.

“He started talking to him and put him in the recovery position and I thought hang on, that’s what I’m supposed to be doing. If it wasn’t for him I don’t know how Pete would’ve been.”

Mr Perry spent two days at Lister Hospital and is now recovering at home.

? If you know who the policeman was, call the newsdesk on 01438 866200.