Rugby club stalwart Hadden Graham from Marlborough was airlifted to hospital on Saturday having suffered a suspected heart attack while refereeing a match at Westbury.

Mr Hadden, who is in his early fifties, has been a leading member of Marlborough Rugby Club for some years said chairman Charlie Sheppy and has been its treasurer and chairman of its highly successful junior section.

At one time father of three Mr Hadden, of Kelham Gardens, Marlborough played a few third team matches for the local club before moving across to refereeing.

On Saturday he was in charge of the Dorset and Wilts League match between Westbury and Swanage when he collapsed on the pitch.

His close friend Mr Sheppy said: “Thank God there was a medic on the pitch playing and he knew there was a defibrillator at the Westbury Leisure Centre. They administered CPR and got his heart going again.”

Mr Graham, whose wife Mary has been at his bedside in the Bristol Royal Infirmary, was unconscious when he was airlifted by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and initially taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath before being transferred to Bristol.

But on Monday Mr Sheppy said: “I understand he is now awake and aware of what is going on around him.”

Mr Sheppy said: “He is a long time friend and supporter of Marlborough rugby club.

“He is a super guy and you could not ask to meet a nicer man. He is a very sociable and amiable goy and he would do anything for anyone.

“Everyone at the rugby club sends him their wishes for a speedy recovery.”

Mr Graham who has a PhD degree is an animal feedstuffs nutritionalist who works for the company ABVista, one of the first companies to move into the new Marlborough Business Park when it first opened.

He previously worked for the High Street company FinnFeeds.

Mr Graham’s eldest son Mark is at Cambridge University, younger son Ryan left Dauntseys School in July and will be going to Southampton University next year and he has one daughter, Jenny.