by James Scott

jscott@thekmgroup.co.uk

A grandmother who "died" while watching The X Factor was brought back to life by two Ashford paramedics.

Retired office worker Barbara Hanscomb, 80, was watching the live results show with her husband Derek when she suffered a heart attack and stopped breathing.

Mr Hanscomb, also 80, said: "We were watching The X Factor and when I turned to speak to her I saw her mouth was open and she was staring up at the ceiling and she wasn't breathing.

"It was quite a shock. I dialled 999 and they told me to get her on to the floor.

"I had a heart operation recently so I couldn't lift her on my own so I went to get my neighbour.

"We got her on to the floor and then the medics crashed in through the front door."

When Ashford Ambulance Station paramedic Rob Lambert and technician David Radcliffe arrived, they found Mrs Hanscomb showed no signs of life and immediately tried to resuscitate her.

Mr Lambert said: "On arrival she wasn't breathing and had no pulse, so we started CPR whilst I secured her airway and gained intravenous access for fluids and drugs.

"We worked really hard to bring Barbara back. I had to use a defibrillator to deliver a shock to her three times and we administered advanced life support, as well as excellent CPR from my crew mate."

To their surprise, Mrs Hanscomb's heart began beating and she started to breathe again before an ambulance arrived to take her to Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

She spent several weeks in the intensive care unit before being transferred to a ward and then being allowed to return home.

Mrs Hanscomb, who met her two saviours for the first time on Tuesday night, said: "If it wasn't for these men I wouldn't be here. They literally brought me back from the dead.

"It was marvellous to meet them because you never normally get the opportunity to thank those who have helped you, especially when they have saved your life."

The Hanscombs, who live in Canterbury, have been staying with their daughter Mandy, her husband Nigel and grandchildren Jack, 10, and Eliesha, eight, in Hoppers Way, Singleton, for the past month.

The Hanscombs have made a donation to the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust.