A LIFESAVER and a charity fundraiser will be honoured at Newport council’s Extra Mile Awards.

Newport First responder Peter Richards helped save the life of Alan Walker who suffered a cardiac arrest while out shopping near his home in St Julians.

Mr Richards, 62, who was trained in life saving techniques by the Welsh Ambulance Service, used a defibrillator to restart Mr Walker’s heart and continued CPR until the ambulance service arrived.

Mr Walker, a TV extra who has appeared on hospital drama Casualty, said he was in no doubt Mr Richards saved his life: “I have been left in no doubt whatsoever without him being there I never would have made it which is a really scary thought,” he said.

Mr Walker, 65, has since recovered after having an artificial tubes and a small internal defibrillator fitted to his heart. Michael Williams, 45, of Somerton, was also nominated for an award for his charity work.

Mr Williams has raised more than £30,000 for Cancer Research since 1988 in memory of his dad Ron Williams who died aged 56 after battling kidney, lung and brain cancer the same year.

The former Welsh weightlifting champion, whose mum Helen died of lung cancer aged 62 six years ago, said he wanted to give something back to the charity who helped his parents.

He said: “I was watching my dad die in front of my eyes and it was soul-destroying. I wanted to get my anger out with my weightlifting and raise money for charity at the same time.”

Mr Williams, who has weightlifted for Wales nine times, has completed 20 sponsored truck and double-decker bus pulls, two London marathons and has even bared all for a charity calendar.

He now hopes to raise £50,000 for the charity by his 50th birthday.

The pair’s achievements will be celebrated at a ceremony hosted by Newport City Council on February 24, along with council employees who have gone beyond the call of duty in their work.

  • In last week's Argus we referred to nominee Mo Medlicott as a former midwife, but she was a midwife's assistant.