AIREBOROUGH and Horsforth MP Paul Truswell has thrown his weight behind a new campaign to cut the number of people killed by heart attacks.

Mr Truswell voiced his support for the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) Doubt Kills campaign after attending a BHF at the House of Commons last week.

The initiative aims to increase people's awareness of the symptoms of a heart attack, and what they should do if they suspect they're having one.

And Mr Truswell is urging his constituents not to delay in calling for emergency help if they experience chest pain. He said: "We often hear stories about when people should not call 999, but it is crucial that people are also told when they should call 999. Chest pain is one such occasion, because it could be a heart attack - and nobody is going to be upset with you if it turns out to be a false alarm.

"This is an important campaign from the BHF as it has the potential to save many lives in Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough. People in the area should also be armed with the skills to save a life should they be with someone when the worst happens - which is why we need people to sign up for a free Heartstart UK course."

New figures from the BHF show that fewer than one in ten people - excluding health professionals and those trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as part of their job - have the skills to save a life.

The charity is using the findings to try to persuade more people to sign up to its free Heartstart UK courses. For more details visit bhf.org.uk/heartstart, send an e-mail to heartstart@bhf.org.uk or call 0207 487 7115.