It was a life-saving gift a community centre hoped it would never need to use.

But an Ilkley pensioner has praised an off-duty fireman for his quick-thinking by treating her husband with a defibrillator, the day after it was presented to the centre, where he was attending a wedding reception.

The firefighter was called into action after Derek Rowson collapsed while dancing with his wife Julie at the Clarke Foley Centre in Cunliffe Road.

He came to Mr Rowson’s aid by using the defibrillator – a £1,000 gift from Ilkley Round Table – reviving the pensioner before he was taken by ambulance to Airedale Hospital in Steeton, near Keighley.

Mr Rowson was kept in hospital for overnight observations, where his condition was diagnosed as an irregular heartbeat. He is now recovering at home in Ilkley.

Mrs Rowson said it was a “great relief” the machine and a trained user were on hand to help her husband.

She said: “The fireman was wonderful. He was the first one who took charge and decided that the defibrillator was required. He got the machine and brought him round.”

Mr Rowson, who is in his 70s, is a volunteer at the Clarke Foley Centre, which runs events for the over-50s. He works as a cook at the centre’s luncheon club.

The wedding celebration was taking place for one of the centre’s directors.

Centre manager Judith Ellis said: “In spite of it being so traumatic and absolutely awful for Julie and Derek, it was very reassuring for all of us. It proved the worth of having the machine here. We’re very grateful to the Round Table for providing it for us and to Addingham Heartstart for providing training.”

She also praised the ambulance crew, who arrived quickly to take Mr Rowson to hospital.

Richard Bradley, vice-chairman of Ilkley Round Table, said he was “delighted” to hear the club’s gift had potentially made a life-saving difference.

A defibrillator gives the heart an electric shock and can be used in some cases of cardiac arrest. Research by the British Heart Foundation shows that for every minute that passes without using the machine, the chances of the patient surviving fall by 14 per cent.

A controlled shock within five minutes of someone collapsing provides the best chance of survival, according to the research.