If Paul McKenzie shouts "alarm", his dog Millie is trained to press a panic button. But when he slipped into a diabetic coma, he was far beyond shouting – and seemingly beyond help.

Millie, however, had other ideas. When she found Mr McKenzie, 47, slumped on the floor, the clever black labrador took matters into her own paws – and pressed the button all by herself. It alerted staff at a 24-hour control center who tried to contact Mr McKenzie, before dialing 999 and calling his neighbors for help.

Mr McKenzie, who also has neuropathy – nerve damage, a common complication of diabetes – was taken from his home in Derrington to Stafford hospital and put on a drip to restore his blood sugar levels.

"The emergency services were amazed when they realized it was my dog who had called for help.  She’s one in a million - my best friend." Says Paul.