AN off-duty paramedic who came to the aid of an injured biker has been hailed a “guardian angel” by the man he helped.

Keith Stapleton, 53, of Shildon, County Durham, was riding to Moffat, southern Scotland, on June 28 when he came off his bike and landed in a field off the A708.

Paul Smith, of Peterlee, a paramedic and emergency care clinical manager with the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), was also on his way to Moffat – and less than five minutes behind the accident – when he noticed the injured biker.

Mr Stapleton suffered a fractured collar bone and vertebrae and the concerned paramedic waited with him until an ambulance arrived.

The injured motorcyclist was rushed to hospital but had no way of thanking the caring professional who had stopped to help him.

It was thanks to his brother-in-law, Peter Reed, who works for the trust’s patient transport service that Mr Stapleton tracked him down and was able to thank him personally at the NEAS headquarters in Newburn.

Mr Stapleton said: “Paul was on his day off and he didn't have to stop but I'm so thankful he did. He was my friend when I needed help the most.

“What he did was fantastic and he stopped with me the whole time. He was like my guardian angel.”

Mr Smith added: “As a paramedic you’re never off duty, it’s in our nature to help people. It’s more than a job, it’s a vocation.”