A GOLF tournament organised by a heart attack victim to thank the paramedic who saved his life raised £2,786 to support cycling paramedics in York.

Richard Hunter, 56, said the event, at Heworth Golf Club, which involved 23 teams of four players, was a great success, despite wet weather.

York Life-Cycle paramedic Mark Inman, who attended to Mr Hunter on his custom-built mountain bike when he collapsed at his Navigation Road home in January, also joined in the fun.

Mr Hunter said the fundraising tournament was a small way of repaying Mark, and the ambulance service, for saving his life.

He said: "It was fantastic, even though it chucked it down with rain. It was such a success that we have already begun organising another next year, and we hope to turn it into an annual event."

One golfer missed out on a new set of clubs, the prize for a hole-in-one, at the eighth green, when his drive hit the flag, fell into the hole but then bounced back out again.

The Sheriff of York, Councillor Keith Orrell, and his wife, Judith, attended the tournament which was followed by a buffet with live music and a charity auction.

Updated: 10:33 Monday, July 28, 2003