Graeme Pinder, of Blue Gate, Godmanchester, was just enjoying his dinner break in the canteen of the Marriott Hotel in Huntingdon, where he is a conference and events supervisor, when another staff member began to choke.

Quick-thinking Graeme used the first aid training he was in the middle of learning as part of his course at Huntingdonshire Regional College, in St Neots, to assist the young girl, who had gone into anaphylactic shock – an allergic reaction to what she was eating.

Graeme said: "I originally thought she was just coughing, but then it started to get worse. Everybody started panicking and the girl was clearly struggling.

"I got her out of her seat and laid her on the floor. I checked her airways, then she went all floppy and I put her in the recovery position. After that she came round and just said she wasn't supposed to eat chicken."

Graeme, who is currently looking for a plumbing apprenticeship, took the first aid course as part of the part-time heating and ventilation course he is undergoing at the college.

When the incident happened on Friday, May 16, Graeme was only part way through his first aid training and was due to take the exams the following Monday.

Graeme added: "My first aid teacher said the girl could have died from this.

"It could happen to anyone and it was just coincidence that I had the training, and it just came naturally to me. I went into automatic mode.

"Some other people were a bit shook up from what happened and they were happy I was there. I think it should be compulsory that everybody should learn some first aid."