A market trader who was left fighting for his life after an accident on holiday in Spain has featured in a new documentary TV show.

Martin Emmerson appeared on Benidorm ER, which started last night on Channel Five. Doctors in the resort fought to save his life after a shock injury left him on a life-support machine earlier this year.

The 54-year-old, who runs a stall in Skipton market, hit his head while on a miniature train in the resort. But unbeknown to him the innocuous-looking injury had caused bleeding on his brain and eventually led to his heart stopping.

His ordeal was filmed by TV crews for the documentary show, which follows the medial teams at Clinica Benidorm as they treat holiday-makers.

Speaking this week, Martin, who is also a town councillor, said: “I had fantastic service. I was in the right place at the right time.” The trader’s ordeal began on the second day of a holiday to Benidorm with his wife, Patricia. The couple decided to take a ride on a miniature train on which Martin banged the back of his head against the seat.

He didn’t think much of it but 20 minutes later he fainted. He continued to walk around the town but when he returned to the hotel, he fainted again and a doctor was called.

It turned out Martin was suffering from dangerously low blood pressure and the bang on his head had caused a bleed which had exacerbated his condition and then caused his heart to stop.

To solve the problem, he had a pacemaker fitted.

Martin said: “(The doctor) thought initially it was a virus, but as he turned around, I fainted again and less than an hour later I was in intensive care and on a life-support machine.”

Speaking before the operation was shown, he said: “I am looking forward to seeing what I said. I can’t knock the hospital. It saved my life.”

It is Martin’s second appearance on TV after he took part in a Diverse Report programme alongside Keighley MP Bob Cryer when he was a union official during the Silentnight strike of the 1980s.