Fiona Shearer, who works in the pharmacy at Asda in Weymouth, “helped save the life” of a 58-year-old customer who fell ill while collecting her medication, the multiple said on Friday (January 13).

The woman “stopped breathing” and Ms Shearer and an off-duty nurse “jumped into action” when she collapsed, while another colleague called 999, it added.

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"The lady kept coming in and out of consciousness,” Ms Shearer said. “We put the defibrillator on her so it could monitor her. We kept tapping and stroking her face and talking to her to make her come round.”

She added that “it kept getting harder and progressively worse” until the paramedics arrived and took over, saying she was “so grateful” that the nurse was there.

"She would have died"

"The lady's son came into the store later and he said the doctors had told him that if we hadn't had done what we did, she would have died,” Ms Shearer said.

“It turns out that the lady was having a stroke in store, which it seems had affected her heart. Thankfully she is out of hospital now and doing really well," she added.

The customer’s children sent Ms Shearer a bouquet of flowers and a thank you card to show their appreciation following the incident, Asda said.

“Proud” of Ms Shearer’s “quick thinking”

Sue Hatchyard, the store's customer trading manager, said: "I don't think you can put into words how proud we are of Fiona.”

"I thought she was fabulous before this incident, but this just raises her to a whole new level,” she added. “If it wasn't for her quick thinking, this lady could easily have died."

Store manager Linsey McLucas has nominated Ms Shearer for an “Asda service superstar award” for her actions.

“In the days after the incident, we found out that without Fiona's actions that day we wouldn't have had the same outcome," Ms McLucas said.