HE IS known to many as Oxfordshire's very own 'Mr Defib' and now Dick Tracey is in the running for national recognition for his local heroism.

The recently retired ambulance commander from Witney has been shortlisted as a finalist in the annual St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes Award.

The nomination comes off the back of Mr Tracey's tireless Start a Heart campaign, backed by the Oxford Mail, which has seen the number of public defibrillators in the county rise from about 120 to more than 500.

He said: "I feel rather overwhelmed to be a finalist in these awards.

"The hard work to get these public access defibrillators is done by the community groups; my role of introducing the idea and doing the training is the easy bit.

"It has been such a privilege to work with such wonderful people who are thinking about the wellbeing of the wider community."

Mr Tracey stepped down from his paramedic role after 23 years with South Central Ambulance Service in May in order to dedicate more of his time to the community defibrillator campaign.

Since launching the campaign in 2014, Mr Tracey has also provided CPR training sessions on using the life-saving machines to about 10,000 residents in Oxfordshire.

The 61-year-old said: "Looking back, I do get a sense of pride from everything I have achieved so far, but there’s a lot more to do. "The cardiac arrest survival rates are now above the national average in Oxfordshire, which I hope may be, in part, thanks to the CFR and defibrillator scheme, but I’d like to see them improve even further."

Mr Tracey is nominated for the Awards Yours community First Aid Champion category , supported by Laerdal Medical.

He is one of five finalists in the running and the winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on September 28.

The awards celebrate everyday heroes and will be hosted by TV presenter Katie Piper.