A police driving instructor and two officers have been credited with saving the life of a motorcyclist they found unconscious on the M1.

Alan Rawsthorne, who works for Nottinghamshire Police, was en route to training with two operational support officers when they encountered the man on a stretch of motorway in Leicestershire.

They performed emergency first aid, including CPR, while they waited for an air ambulance to arrive.

The motorcyclist was flown to hospital and has since been discharged, the force said.

'Back to life'

As well as offering driving tuition to officers, Mr Rawsthorne volunteers as a first responder for East Midlands Ambulance Service in his spare time.

Recalling the emergency on 8 April, he said: "We came across slow-moving traffic which had become stationary at a spot that doesn't usually encounter any traffic problems.

"It was a bit unusual so we went down the hard shoulder and at the front of the queue, we spotted the motorcyclist lying motionless in the outside lane.

"His motorbike was further down the road having possibly hit the central barrier.

"Straight away we could tell he was unconscious and wasn't breathing. He didn't have any pulse."

Mr Rawsthorne said he started CPR while the officers removed the man's helmet and cut his jacket and clothing off, allowing the placement of defibrillator pads on his chest.

"After a few minutes of chest compressions, we essentially managed to bring him back to life," he added.

"From there we stabilised his head and airway, checked him over for further injuries and that's when the ambulances, helicopter and fire engines began to arrive."

Mr Rawsthorne, a former firearms instructor, said he had been lobbying for an advanced first aid kit for the driver training team, which arrived about a month ago.

"I put it in the car because you never know when you're going to need it," he added.

"Sure enough, we needed it that day.

"The day after we had an email from a Leicestershire officer saying the motorcyclist was still in hospital and that his condition was serious but stable, and also thanking us for the first aid we did before handing over to the Helimed doctor.

"We've since been informed he has been discharged from hospital, which is fantastic news."

Nottinghamshire Police's chief driving instructor Andy Diggle: "We are all very proud of Alan and the two police officers.

"Alan is very passionate about first aid and has championed lifesaving skills in the driver training team, ultimately obtaining equipment for the team that has now been used to save a man's life."