Robert Hayes was trying to raise awareness of St John Ambulance – but he saved a man's life in the process.

The door-to-door fundraiser was just three days into the job and was in west Norwich when a man answered the door showing signs of a heart attack.

Mr Hayes, 33, who had been given first-aid training, jumped into action.

'The man had his hand on his chest and said he didn't feel well, that his jaw and his left shoulder hurt, which sounded like a heart attack to me,' Mr Hayes said.

He had the man sit down on the sofa, take an aspirin and then dialled 999. He waited with the man until an ambulance came and medical personnel put him on a stretcher.

Mr Hayes's life-saving actions may have gone unrecognised if it was not for the persistence of a local woman who had witnessed the whole event and reported his kindness.

Mr Hayes said he was merely doing what he was trained to do.

'I didn't save a guy's life for media coverage; I did it because it was the right thing to do. I saw that something wasn't right and that he needed help,' he added.

Ian Groves, a regional PR officer for St John Ambulance, stressed how important it is for everyone to have basic medical training in case of emergency situations such as this.

'Robert's actions show exactly the message we're trying to get across: you never know when you're going to need to use first aid,' Mr Groves said.

Through home owners who live on the same street, Mr Hayes heard the man survived the heart attack.

'Possibly saving a person's life makes my job worthwhile. If it's the only life I save for the rest of my life it was worth it,' Mr Hayes said.

To donate to St John Ambulance, visit https://www.sja.org.uk/