A MAN who was widely praised for his efforts to help an injured Keighley pensioner said he was glad to have been in a position to do something positive.

Knowle Park resident Zubair Hussain, 26, intervened to assist 80-year-old Ronald Mitchell, who "had blood pouring down his face" after slipping and falling in the street.

"To be honest, you just need a good heart," said Mr Hussain. "It doesn't take a lot to help someone in this kind of situation. And you can make a big difference in just a few minutes."

Mr Hussain, who lives in Park Avenue, came across Mr Mitchell one morning while out walking from his home to the post office.

Moments earlier, Mr Mitchell had lost his footing on a slippery area at Park Avenue's junction with Victoria Road and fallen badly, suffering serious cuts to his face.

Mr Hussain said: "He must have fallen over no more than a minute before I saw him.

"He was leaning against a wall with his dog, trying to stop the blood with his handkerchief. There was that much blood pouring out that I knew he was in a bad way.

"There were various people around but they were ignoring him. You'd think even drivers in cars going by might have noticed.

"I went to see if he was alright and he said 'I'm fine', but it was obvious he wasn't.

"At one point I was on the phone to the ambulance, holding his dog and trying to stop the bleeding.

"But a couple living nearby bought out some tissues. And staff from Holy Croft Primary came with a First Aid kit, a stool for Ronald to sit down on and took care of his dog."

When the ambulance arrived, Mr Hussain went with Mr Mitchell to Airedale Hospital's emergency department, and while there, posted a message on Facebook to try and find someone who could contact a member of Mitchell's family.

"The nurses were up to their eyeballs with work, so I thought I'd take matters into my own hands," Mr Hussain added.

Thanks to the power of social media, Mr Mitchell's granddaughter was soon contacted and arrived at Airedale by mid-afternoon.

Mr Hussain, who works as a sales assistant at Keighley's Morrisons Supermarket, remained at the hospital until the evening when Mr Mitchell was discharged after treatment.

"I didn't want to leave him in case anything happened," Mr Hussain said. "I would have felt bad, so I thought I'd stay until he was out of hospital and the nurses and doctors had said he was fine to leave.

"I was going to get a taxi home but Ronald's granddaughter Gaje gave me a lift."

Since the day of the accident – July 8 – Mr Hussain has been to visit Mr Mitchell, who is now recovering from his ordeal.

"He was very grateful and we had a hug and a handshake," he said. "He does look in a better state than he was a week ago."

As reported in last week's Keighley News, Mr Mitchell's family members have thanked Mr Hussain for his actions, describing his behaviour as "outstanding".