A scheme funded by local businesses to provide on-the-spot life saving care in Bradford has been boosted by a new volunteer.

Nasrat Bi, 31, from Manningham, has become the first person to complete the initial training to become a community first responder.

She explained that she always wanted to become a volunteer.

"When I first heard about the scheme I thought it would be ideal," she said.

Each volunteer is given training in first aid, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and oxygen therapy over three weekends. They are also given a bag of equipment when they are on call so that they are fully equipped to respond to a call-out.

"I really wanted to do something to help the local community," said Miss Bi.

The initiative was first set up in the Great Horton area but the team is hoping that if more people come forward it will be possible to expand it into Manningham, Heaton and Girlington.

Aneela Ahmed lives in Lidget Green and works for West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service in the emergency control room. She also volunteers her free time to act as a first responder and helps to train volunteers.

She urged people living across Bradford to get involved in the scheme.

She said: "It's quite an important issue to have people in the community who are known that can help and provide extra support for the ambulance service in an emergency."

Miss Ahmed lost both her parents to cardiac arrests and this was the reason that she decided to become actively involved in the project.

She said: "It's important to have people who are able to get out there and make a difference and possibly save someone's life."

The responders operate in partnership with ambulance services and are dispatched at the same time as an ambulance.

But because they live locally they are able to reach the patients quickly and help to prevent their condition from deteriorating. Normally the responder schemes operate in rural or difficult-to-reach areas.

The Mumtaz restaurant on Great Horton Road donated the funding for the initiative to start up and operate in Great Horton for the first year.

Additional funding has also come from the Great Horton Filling Station, Kebab Ranch, Tariq Stores, Anams Restaurant, Bismillah Stores, MP Patel and Sons Food Asia, Beckside Filling Station, Moona Cash and Carry and Saddique's Chemist.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a Community First Responder or helping to fund the scheme should telephone WYMAS Network Response Manager Paul Stevens on (01924) 582000.