A HEART attack victim who collapsed at York Railway Station last month has joined forces with the two men who saved his life to support an innovative national campaign.

John Pearce, 62, of Harrogate, collapsed on a platform last month after suffering a massive heart attack.

Two GNER staff, Andrew Jackson and Chris Caulfield, raced to his aid with the help of a portable defibrillator housed at the station.

The quick-thinking duo used the life-saving equipment - one of 680 machines now installed in busy public places across the UK - to "shock" him back to life.

Their life-saving actions came only two weeks after they received refresher training on how to use the equipment, which guides users on what to do through spoken instructions relayed from electrodes placed on a person's chest.

Yesterday the trio came together for the first time since the incident, on February 5, to support the National Defibrillator Programme, which installs the machines at shopping centres, airports and sports stadia to reduce the number of people who suffer a sudden heart attack and die before they are admitted to hospital.

Civil engineer Mr Pearce starts back at work on Monday.

He said he walked five miles a day, swam regularly and was feeling very well.

He said: "There's no doubt that they saved my life. I'm all in favour of having defibrillators now.

"No one expects to have to use it, but what happened to me has shown so many people that they do actually need it."

The defibrillator is one of four machines installed at York railway station since 2001 as part of the programme

John's wife, Sue Pearce, 58, said she was so grateful for the help her husband received.

She said: "I just think it's brilliant that York has got staff like this around because it could happen to anyone. John was lucky."

Updated: 10:18 Tuesday, March 25, 2003