A Cilmery pub landlord has won a prestigious award for saving his neighbour’s life after he suffered a heart attack.

Simon Mason received a ‘Heart Hero’ award in front of a host of celebrities, including The Duchess of York, Glenn Hoddle and Penny Lancaster at the British Heart Foundation Awards in London.

The landlord of the Prince Llewelyn Inn performed CPR for more than 45 minutes on 68-year-old Richard Barrett after he stopped breathing and lost consciousness at his Cilmery home in 2018.

Richard’s partner, Judith Morgan, nominated Simon for his life saving skills which kept Richard alive until paramedics arrived.

County Times:

She said: “Without him, Richard would certainly not be here today. We’re very thrilled for Simon.

“To keep going for 45 minutes is amazing.”

The awards celebrate individuals of all ages who have shown immense strength in the face of adversity or have made a significant impact in helping those living with heart and circulatory diseases.

Simon accepted his award from TV presenter Vernon Kay at Shakespeare’s Globe on September 20.

Since his heart attack, Richard has made a good recovery and has taken up playing pool with Simon.

“He’s very good. It’s amazing, really, how they got him back,” said Judith.

“His defibrillator hasn’t kicked in once; it’s brilliant. We have check ups every 12 months just to make sure everything’s tickety-boo.”

More than 100 people attended a CPR training event at the Prince Llewelyn Inn in November 2018 to make sure more know the vital skills.