A supermarket worker was hailed a hero after saving a 14-month-old baby who began choking on a piece of plastic in-store.

Mum-of-two Esme Matthews, who works at Asda's Greenhithe branch, said instinct just took over when she heard a customer shouting for help.

Without a second thought the 43-year-old leapt into action as she began the life-saving intervention on the tot.

She said: "The lady was screaming that her baby was choking so I grabbed the child, put her over my leg and hit her on the back.

"The baby's lips were blue and it was really scary, but I managed to dislodge the plastic and the mum pulled it out of her mouth with her fingers. The baby then started to cry which was a good sign."

Even when it was all over Esme confessed it did not sink in until much later.

"It all happened in seconds and it really is still a bit of a blur," she said.

"As a mum myself it was a just a natural thing to do."

"It was frightening at the time but it didn't really sink in till later what I'd done. I'm just so glad the baby was okay."

She added: "As a mum myself it was a just a natural thing to do."

After the incident the child's mum wrote to the store to praise Esme, saying she was "an angel".

The mum said she was pushing her daughter, Tiger-May, in the trolley when she began to cough violently, was struggling to breathe and her lips became pale.

She said: "I unclipped my daughter and began to bang on her back, but I was getting panicked as she still couldn't breathe.

"I was scared that my baby was dying but Esme was an angel who headed straight towards me.

"She saw my situation and grabbed my daughter and patted her relatively hard at least three times. A piece of plastic wrapping came to the front of her mouth and I was able to pull it out. I could see that my daughter was crying and breathing now."

The grateful mother says she tears up just thinking about the moment her supermarket saviour "literally flew" to her.

"What a wonderful woman and asset to Asda she is. I am forever grateful to her," she added.

Store manager Chris Fawn says the whole store is so proud of Esme

He said: "It was a fantastic thing that she did – she saw what was going on and jumped in.

"Esme said to me that she didn't think she was special or anything, saying it just had to be done!

"We are all massively proud of Esme here. Her actions at the end of the day saved the life of a young child."

He added: "Her whole attitude and drive and passion in her job is second to none."

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