AN Oxford University employee has been awarded one of the country's top honours after saving a man's life.

Andrew Waligo, 55, from Risinghurst, was said to be "the right person in the right place at the right time" when he saved the man's life off Oxford High Street last August.

Mr Waligo, an Oxford University employee, was walking to work after a lunch break when he saw a man desperately trying to wake the occupant of a car parked by the roadside.

The married father of three said: "As I walked past the Old Bank Hotel I noticed a parked car with a man bending over tapping another inside the car.

"He seemed to be trying to wake him up by calling out his name, saying 'Chris Chris'."

Becoming increasingly concerned Mr Waligo, who works in the Exams Office, decided to take matters into his own hands, introduced himself as a first aider, which he qualified for after training at the university's Examination Schools.

He said: "When I bent over in the car I was shocked to see the colour of the man in the car.

"I immediately asked for assistance from a passer-by to help me carry him from the car and onto the pavement where I wanted to try and resuscitate him.

"On realising there was no response at all and the man was becoming paler, I began CPR immediately."

Mr Waligo continued administering CPR until an ambulance arrived and the man, only identified as Chris, could be cared for by paramedics.

He said: "I did not know who Chris was, but I prayed that he would survive when I handed him over to the ambulance staff.

"A few days later I was unformed by a university staff member that he had survived."

Mr Waligo’s boss and senior facilities manager at Oxford University, George Day, nominated him for the Royal Humane Society resuscitation award.

He said: "I thought what Andrew did was not only remarkable but very brave as many others may well have walked by and not had the courage to step forward in front of the public and carry out such an act of selflessness; this has made not only me as his manager very proud but he is a credit to the University."

Dick Wilkinson, secretary of the Royal Humane Society, said: "Put simply Mr Waligo was the right person in the right place at the right time.

"Thanks to his swift action this man survived - in situations like this time is of the essence.

"But for Mr Waligo’s prompt action the man would probably have died."

The Royal Humane Society was founded in 1774 and presents awards to those who are prepared to put their own lives at risk to save others.

Do you know Chris? If so, get in touch sophie.mogridge@oxfordmail.co.uk