PUB landlord James Waller was hailed a hero this week after twice reviving a customer who had collapsed and stopped breathing.

The man, in his 70s, was having a meal at Royal Oak in Luxborough with family and friends last Saturday evening when he got a piece of meat stuck in his throat.

James, first aid trained, left a busy bar full of customers to rush to the man's aid.

"He was slumped in a chair. I smacked him on the back a few times but he was quite frail and I was worried about breaking his ribs," he said.

"I decided to lie him down and put him in the recovery position but he suddenly stopped breathing."

James, aged 47, carried out mouth to mouth resuscitation and the man revived but his breathing was very shallow.

"He was very grey and within minutes he stopped breathing again."

Once again, James managed to revive him and two or three minutes later was able to put his fingers into his mouth, helping him to dislodge and cough up the food that was obstructing his airway.

Paramedics arrived soon afterwards and checked out the man before allowing him home.

"He didn't need to go to hospital and I have since had a card from him saying that he is fine," said James.

"One of the people with him made a donation to the air ambulance charity before leaving the pub.

'It was all a bit unexpected but luckily I had done a refresher first aid course just three weeks ago.

"Everything I had learned seemed to go out the window when it was actually happening, but I suppose it didn't really."

But pub regulars John Wisdom and Paula Clements, who were in the bar at the time of the incident, thought James' actions deserved some publicity and contacted the Free Press.

"James kept providing life saving support until the ambulance arrived in the village 20 minutes after the phone call for help was made," they said.

"He is now our hero publican and we feel he should have some recognition."