FIRST-AID skills learned through the St John Ambulance carers support programme helped a Christchurch mother save the life of her severely disabled son.

Stephanie King, whose son Matthew, 28, suffers from major mental and physical disabilities, undertook the eight-week course organised by the Dorset St John's at its Wallisdown centre last summer.

And when Matthew suffered a choking fit at their home in Somerford, Mrs King promptly put into practice the life-saving techniques she had learned.

She was able to lift Matthew from his wheelchair, place him on his knees on the floor and administer an alternating regime of back slaps and abdominal thrusts to clear the obstruction.

When Matthew failed to respond and actually stopped breathing, Mrs King started cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and called for help from neighbours Ken and Judy Rickman. While Mr Rickman summoned an ambulance, Mrs Rickman took over the strenuous resuscitation attempts from an exhausted Stephanie and kept Matthew breathing until the paramedics arrived.

Stephanie said: "If I had not gone on that course I would not have known what to do, but Judy was the one that saved Matthew's life. She was fantastic." Julie McDermott, care training and development manager for St John Ambulance Dorset, said: "Caring for someone at home is a tough job. Most carers have very little experience prior to taking on such a great responsibility.

"As part of our carers support programme, emergency and basic first- aid skills are taught based around accidents that are likely to occur in the home, along with safe handling and information about how to keep both the carer and the person they care for well."

A new St John course for carers in the Bournemouth area begins on Wednesday January 16 and details are available by calling Julie McDermott on 01305 751162 or Georgia Tiller on 01202 635912.