A police officer on holiday in Bournemouth saved a man’s life by giving him mouth-to-mouth when he collapsed on a bus.

Izabela Sekowska, aged 38, is on a two-week vacation in the town visiting family.

Every day during her holiday Izabela, who is from Poland, has taken the number six Yellow Bus from Wallisdown to the town centre.

But on Tuesday her journey took a dramatic turn when one of the passengers suffered a stroke while on the bus.

Thankfully Izabela’s police training came in useful and she was able to administer first aid to the man and help keep him alive.

Speaking to the Echo Izabela, who works for the fraud unit in Bartoszyce, said: “Everyone keeps telling me I did a really great thing but to me it was just instinctive. I acted automatically when I saw someone needed help.”

The incident happened around midday as the bus was travelling along St Luke’s Road in Winton.

According to Izabela, who is staying with her brother Marcin and his girlfriend Kasia in Ensbury Park, the passenger, a 71-year-old man, stood up to get off the bus when he collapsed.

“I got another girl on the bus to help me lay him on the floor and lift his feet up to get the blood flowing,” said Izabela.

“He had passed out but then regained consciousness. I told him my name and that I was from Poland and asked him some questions to see how alert he was.

“We were able to get him back up on the seats and give him some water but all of a sudden he lost consciousness again and this time stopped breathing.”

At this point Izabela lay him back on the floor and gave him mouth-to-mouth.

“Thankfully he woke up. When the paramedics arrived they told me without my help then he would have died,” she said.

A south Western Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed that the man, 71, appeared to have suffered a stroke and was taken to Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Yellows’ Jenni Wilkinson said: “After our driver was made aware of a passenger’s sudden medical condition he stopped the bus. We’re pleased that our driver acted in a prompt and responsible way and that other passengers also helped.”