NEVER walk away if you see someone collapse on the street, says one local hero who recently helped a young woman in distress.

Covingham’s Aimee Mumford last week found herself in hospital after she collapsed while waiting for a bus in Fleming Way.

Keen to thank the mystery person who stayed to help, Aimee put out a plea for her anonymous saviour to come forward.

Sam Mantinan, 30, yesterday got in touch to say it was she who had helped Aimee, and she urged others to do the same if they ever find themselves in similar circumstances.

Sam, from Walcot, was on her way to her mum’s house before heading to Oxford on the morning the incident happened.

She said: “I was in a bit of a rush, so thought I would get the bus.

“Aimee was standing there and she suddenly just collapsed. I had my phone in my hand and I immediately dialled 999.

“The people on the phone told me to keep her awake and to keep talking to her.

“It was pouring down with rain and I didn’t want her to get wet, so I gave her my coat.

“I talked to her about the first thing that came into my mind – I said to her ‘you could have chosen better weather to collapse in’.”

It was then that other people waiting at the bus stop began to put coats over 26-year-old Aimee to help keep her dry.

Asda worker Aimee said she was extremely grateful to Sam for stopping to help.

She said she has not been well for a while and regularly gets sharp pains all over her body. Doctors, however, are yet to find out what it is.

Unfortunately she has collapsed before, and people aren’t always quick to lend a hand. With this in mind, Sam urged people: “Don’t walk away. Never walk away.

“Others stayed to help too, but I was shocked by the amount of people who walked past us without offering to help.”

Sam claimed the incident didn’t interrupt her day, but, as she said: “I would never have left her.”