A FIREMAN is being hailed as a hero after he administered vital first aid to a man who had been in an accident with a sports car.

Sub Officer Dave Fraser-Jones was off duty when he spotted stricken Clifford Leather lying injured on Derby Street two weeks ago while he was shopping in Daubhill.

The 41-year-old rushed over to help Mr Leather, aged 60, who suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by the car.

Mr Fraser-Jones, a trained trauma technician, used a special technique to unblock the injured man's airways and turned him onto his side before paramedics took over.

With her husband lying gravely ill in hospital, wife Margaret Leather contacted the Bolton Evening News to try and trace the heroic fireman.

After spotting the report, Mr Fraser-Jones spoke to his wife, a nurse at Royal Bolton Hospital, and arranged to visit Mr Leather, a painter and decorator, in the intensive care unit. The 60-year-old remains in the intensive care but has now regained consciousness and his family say he is improving. Mr Fraser-Jones, from Harwood, visited the hospital again last week.

Today, Mrs Leather, aged 60, publicly thanked the man who "saved Cliff's life".

She said: "He's still very poorly but is making a bit of progress slowly. He's still on a breathing machine.

"We can't thank Dave enough for what he has done for our family. He's a really lovely and charming man. When he came to the hospital to see Cliff for the second time it was very touching.

"We bought his little lad a present this Christmas but a million pounds wouldn't be enough to thank him."

Mrs Leather and the couple's two grown-up children now face an anxious wait over the Christmas period to see if Mr Leather will make a full recovery from his injuries.

Mrs Leather added: "He's still a bit confused but he has been showing a few signs of his old self."

The modest firefighter insists he was only going about his job.

He said: "I was just going back to Bolton from Daubhill and I saw a man lying in the road. As a trained trauma technician I thought I'd go over and see if I could help."

Mr Fraser-Jones, a father of two, said he was pleased that the fire service had introduced trauma training.

"I've been in twice to see Cliff and I'm pleased that he has started to improve a bit. It was quite emotional."