A man who made a full recovery following a stroke is backing a campaign to help save people's lives.

Shaun Sykes, 46, of Redland Grove, Staincross, fell ill in the middle of the night last July.

Because he had seen the Act FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) campaign, he knew immediately that he was having a stroke and asked his wife Nicola, 42, to call an ambulance.

He is now back working as an engineer and is supporting a new campaign launched by Barnsley Hospital, called Act FASTER.

Shaun believes getting to hospital so fast saved his life and encouraged people to take notice of the campaign.

He added: "I knew what was happening because I had seen the adverts on television.

"It's definitely a good idea because I could have been on my own and things could have been a lot worse.

"I think a lot more people recognise the symptoms now, having seen the adverts."

When Shaun had his stroke he had woken up suddenly at about 3am feeling very thirsty.

He went to get a drink when his arms, legs and face felt funny.

After spending four days on the stroke ward and doing some rehabilitation exercises, Shaun is almost back to normal.

Donna Goddard, stroke specialist nurse at the hospital, is leading on the campaign.

She said: “Unfortunately, in too many cases people don’t spot the symptoms early enough.

"The Act FASTER campaign is all about helping people to recognise the signs of a stroke so when they see them they dial 999 straight away.”