A TEACHER who saved the life of a three-year-old girl is urging schools to take part in a special health awareness day.

Frances Hammond, a secondary school PE teacher, has been appealing to secondary schools across Yorkshire to join 'Restart a Heart Day' in October.

Ms Hammond, who saved the life of three-year-old girl who fell into a pond last year, said schools needed to register for by April.

On the day, life-saving techniques will be taught by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Ms Hammond said: "I know from personal experience that CPR training is so important because it gives people the skills and confidence to save someone's life. I would like to appeal to all Yorkshire’s secondary schools to take part in Restart a Heart Day and provide students with training to make a massive difference to anyone who has a cardiac arrest."

Jason Carlyon of Yorkshire Ambulance Service said: “Providing bystander CPR in the first few minutes of someone having a cardiac arrest is vital and Frances’ story is testimony to that.

"But we also know about the many lives which are lost because people don’t have basic, life-saving CPR skills to act in life-threatening situations.

“The more youngsters we can provide with CPR skills on Restart a Heart Day, the better the bystander CPR rates which will in turn have a positive effect on cardiac arrest survival rates.

"We have hundreds of off-duty staff, volunteers and helpers from partner organisations who give up their own time to support the training on Restart a Heart Day – so we would encourage secondary schools across Yorkshire to take part."