A NORTH-EAST boxing coach who tried to save the life of a murdered police officer has spoken of his desperation to return to his family after the dramatic events of recent days.

Tony Davis, who lives in Faverdale in Darlington, was among the first on the scene after Wednesday’s terror attack in Westminster.

The 42-year-old has received national admiration after he tried to keep PC Keith Palmer alive by using his own raincoat to try to stem the blood.

Speaking to The Northern Echo 48 hours after the tragedy, Mr Davis said he couldn’t wait to “return to normality” after an exhausting few days.

“I have just started to have time to relax and I have really come down to earth,” he said.

“I feel deflated – I just want to go back home and see my family now.”

Mr Davis leaped over a fence and rushed across to PC Palmer to give him CPR, after seeing what he described as a “large chap brandishing two knives come through the gates and start attacking an officer”.

Asked if he felt afraid, Mr Davis said: “Not at all – you immediately see that people need assistance and your instinct is to just go and help.”

Mr Davis, who works predominantly with the Great British performance squad in Sheffield, was in London with the British Lionhearts ahead of their World Series Boxing bout against Italy.

He received a round of applause as he led the British squad out just over 24 hours after he had tried to treat PC Palmer.

Mr David said the Italian side wanted to pull out of the fight, but they were persuaded by the British team to take part and show “solidarity”.

“I was more concerned about the boxers – they are only young kids and they saw what happened," he said.

“I spent most of Thursday doing media, but it was good to have the boxing to focus on – it kept me going and I wanted to keep active.

“Now I just want to get away and regroup”.

The Westminster terrorist attack was not the first tragedy that Mr Davis has had to deal with.

He spent 22 years in the army, and was in the same regiment as fusilier Lee Rigby who was murdered in a horrific attack in 2013.

Mr Davis believes his two decades spent in the forces helped him react in the way he did on Wednesday.

“I have spent my life helping others and trying to preserve life – I guess it is just the way I am," he said.

“I feel like it is important for me to share what I saw – if we can learn from what has happened and we can improve things and do things differently as a result, then I have done my bit.”