Life-saving awards for officers

Two Suffolk Police officers, Kim Butler and Katharine Bloom, have been awarded Humane Society Resuscitation Certificates for helping to save the life of a man who suffered a heart attack at an Ipswich supermarket.

Store manager Claire Fletcher, who began CPR on 79-year-old grandfather Edward Ardern who had collapsed by the tills at Sainsbury's in Hadleigh Road in April has also won the award.

When the officers arrived Pc Butler continued with CPR while Pc Bloom set up a defibrillator and administered one shock to Mr Ardern.

Mr Ardern was taken to hospital by air ambulance and is now at home.

Both officers expressed their delight at his recovery. Pc Butler said her training “just clicked in” and Pc Bloom added: “I don’t think you really even think about it. You are doing your best, you’re not half-heartedly doing it, you’re doing absolutely everything you can.”

Mr Ardern, who spend nine weeks in hospital, said: “I appreciate everything everybody did. If that hadn’t happened there’s no way I would be alive today.”