SANDRA Cartwright has always panicked in a medical emergency.

So when the Swindon worker had a chance to learn first-aid at work she grabbed it with both hands.

The mum-of-three thought paper cuts would be the most she had to deal with.

But she was wrong.

Only months after completing the course, she was faced with a life-or-death situation when an elderly woman collapsed in front of her.

The 41-year-old sprang into action and saved the pensioner from choking on her false teeth.

"I have always been a panicker when someone hurts themselves," said Mrs Cartwright, who works for the Civil Service in Westlea.

Since completing a first-aid at work course in October, the biggest emergency Mrs Cartwright has been faced with was when a colleague walked into a door and banged her head.

But this all changed when Mrs Cartwright, who is married to Paul, 47, who works for the MoD, saved the 86-year-old woman from dying.

"I was stood behind her outside a supermarket and she just collapsed.

"I didn't think about it, I just sank to my knees and started helping her.

"I thought that she had had a heart attack."

In fact the woman had fainted, cracked her head and was lying on the pavement unconscious.

"I knew she was unconscious and her false teeth were stuck in her throat," said Mrs Cartwright, who has three sons, Scott, 19, Sam, 16, and Luke 13.

"I started off trying to remove them gently but I couldn't so just had to grab them.

"After a few minutes she came around but as I lifted her head I could see it was bleeding."

While they waited for an ambulance, Mrs Cartwright checked the woman's pulse, which was low and began talking to her.

"She was lovely. She had a real sense of humour," she said.

"When I asked if she had drank enough fluids that day she said she hadn't been drinking gin if that's what I thought.

"I asked her if I could get anyone for her but she said she is just on her own."

Mrs Cartwright, who lives in Corsham, is now hoping to visit the woman to check how she is.

And she is also hoping to extend her first-aid skills.

"I feel really proud of myself," she said.

"The course was great and really detailed but I never thought I would have to do something like this.

"I'm just glad I acted like I did and was calm.

"Now I would like to learn more so that I could deal with any situation I might be faced with."

It was Mrs Cartwright's boss Jim Leonard, the health and safety and security co-ordinator at Minerva House, who organised Mrs Cartwright's first-aid course.

"I am not surprised how she acted at all, I would have her on my team any day," he said.