A nurse has told of her near-death experience after she was saved by a stranger while choking in a cinema.

She now wants her story told to encourage everyone to receive basic life-support training and for it to be taught on a wider scale.

The A&E nurse was watching Kenneth Branagh's Belfast in the cinema at Bluewater when a few minutes into the film a piece of popcorn got lodged at the back of her throat.

Claire, who does not want her surname published for privacy reasons, said: "It clogged my airways as I was breathing in. I could not cough or breathe. I realised what was happening and the severity of it.

"It was really scary. I had about three minutes before I would have collapsed and stopped breathing. I do not know how long I was struggling for."

The Dartford resident told how she tried to dislodge the kernel herself but was not able to. Her mother then tried and was unable to help.

She added: "I know if no-one had heard me, I would have died."

Thankfully, she was heard by a stranger at the other end of the aisle who rushed to help.

Her rescuer Colin Quinnear said: "We were sitting in our seats and around 10 minutes in I heard a bit of disturbance at the other end of the row and thought 'what is going on'? I could hear someone coughing.

"After a few minutes, I heard a horrible squeal and my wife said to go and help. It was a weird sensation as I walked towards her. It was like an out-of-body experience.

"I did not know what I was doing but I stood her up and stood behind her. I then did the biggest heave I could and this missile came flying our of her mouth and she started breathing again."

The 60-year-old performed abdominal thrusts but admitted he's not had any training or knew if it would work.

"It was a total fluke. It could have gone right or it could have gone wrong," he added. "It is just something I thought anyone would do."

It was the first time Colin, of Warren Road, Wilmington, and his wife had gone to the cinema in around four years and it was lucky they were in the same screening at 2.30pm as Claire after trying to get seats in a earlier showing.

He continued: "Everyone else was watching the pictures and the film was still running. I sat back down and watched the film, got my snacks out like nothing had happened. It was kind of surreal.

"It is unbelievable. I am just glad she made it. I am still a bit in shock."

The pair have connected through Facebook and met up on Saturday after the incident last Monday afternoon.

Claire said she only remembers pieces of what happened as she was in and out of consciousness.

"I was in shock, holding my head in my hands just in shock," she told. "It was a shock response, we just sat back down. It was the strangest experience. The realisation of what had happened did not hit me until we left.

"If it was not for Colin I would have been dead. He saved my life, there is no two ways about it.

"I know if no one would have heard me I would have died..."

"It is unbelievable as the person who's been saved and what that means. It is a heroic act."

Claire is now encouraging people to receive and be taught basic life-support training so they are able to help a stranger if they need it, as this could happen to anyone.

She said that although she knows people freeze and can be frightened to try life saving, it is important and should be normalised to continually learn and remind yourself what to do.

According to the NHS website if somebody is choking you should first carry out five back blows. If that does not work the guidance says to carry out five abdominal thrusts.

If the person's airway is still blocked you should immediately call 999 and continue to alternate between five back blows and five abdominal thrusts.

If they lose consciousness and are not breathing, you should begin CPR.