THE quick thinking of a security guard and a police officer saved the life of young girl who was having a fit in a town centre store.

When Boots’ security officer Tony Nicholson arrived on the scene the toddler was struggling to breathe.

He immediately put out an emergency call for help on Middlesbrough town centre’s Alpha Net system, which connects stores to police officers, while they awaited the arrival of the ambulance service.

Mr Nicholson said: “I could see the child was distressed and having trouble breathing, so I put the call out for help knowing a police officer would be in the town centre.

The officer was here within 30 seconds and I was really impressed with the way he handled the situation.”

PC Richard Davison, who responded to the emergency call at 4pm on Friday afternoon, immediately began first aid on the 22-month-old girl.

He cleared the child’s airway and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

He said: “I cleared the airway and did a few taps on her back and she started to breathe.

“At that moment the ambulance crew arrived and took over the situation.

“The father was very distressed and obviously very upset by what had happened.

“I have never dealt with anything like that before – the staff who got there first dealt with it really well.”

The girl was taken to The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and was kept in overnight for treatment.