A MAN who saved a hamster after it got stuck in a car saved another life after a car accident last week.

The off-duty AA man came to a motorcyclist's rescue after lifting a car off him just seconds before doctors say his chest could have collapsed.

Stuart Smith, 40, was in his home in Micklefield Road last Thursday when his wife Sam called him after the accident happened outside their home.

Realising the man was struggling to breathe, Mr Smith ran to his garage to collect a car jack to ease the pressure on the motorcyclist's chest.

Mr Smith said: "The ambulance man said I did really well and that he thinks I saved his life and apparently when they checked him out they said he was really lucky because he was seconds away from his chest collapsing and seconds from death, which was quite shocking to hear.

"It is really weird. People say you must be proud, but it is very humbling. You would think I would be proud, but when you have done it, you just think you do what you have to do at the time."

Mr Smith stored the motorcycle at his home until the man's dad came and collected it the next day and thanked Mr Smith after his son escaped with severe bruises and scratches.

It is the second time Mr Smith has saved a life in less than two months, after he spent five hours releasing a hamster from a car dashboard in January.