HE’S given more than a decade of his life to saving lives at Glasgow’s busiest transport hub.

John Barrie, Glasgow Aiport Duty Safety Officer, retires this week after 11 years watching out for travellers passing through the city.

The 59-year-old has been involved in giving CPR more than dozen times - and still keeps in touch with those he saved.

John, who turns 60 on Wednesday, said: “They haven’t all been successful but I’m proud of the fact I’ve helped to make a difference when I could.

“I’ve carried a newspaper cutting in my wallet all the years I’ve been a DSO at the airport.

“It’s a short nib with the headline ‘Wife’s heart tragedy’ and tells the story of the wife of a cardiologist who died of a cardiac arrest while attending one of her husband’s seminars – surrounded by hundreds of cardiologists.

“The point I’m making is with the greatest will in the world you can’t save everyone, but it’s important we at least try.”

Bette Simpson, 81, has never met John Barrie, but she’ll forever be grateful that he worked at Glasgow Airport.

In August 2014 Bette’s son Scott was travelling through the airport on his way to Ireland with a friend when he suffered a cardiac arrest.

She said: “Scott had just turned 50 and was going to Ireland with a friend when he collapsed.

“John was at his side in seconds that day and performed the vital CPR that saved his life. If it hadn’t been for him my son Scott wouldn’t be here.”

In the two years Bette and John have kept in touch with the odd text and Christmas card, but they’ve never actually met.

Bette added: “After what he did for Scott the family wanted to do something for John, but he said he was only doing his job and it wasn’t necessary.

“We were adamant we wanted to do something, so John pointed us in the direction of the airport chaplain’s charity.”

“My church hosts fund-raising dances, so we arranged a hoedown and donated £600 as a way of saying thank you.

“He’s a credit to the airport and I wish him well in the future.”

John was a fireman, working in Maryhill and Clydebank, for 28 years before injury to his knees forced him to retire.

He heard about the new Duty Safety Team at Glasgow Airport, set up in 2005, and decided to apply. The five-strong team has responsibility for fire safety, operation and maintenance of fire safety equipment in terminal and first aid.

They are all first responders for Scottish Ambulance Service Volunteers.

John, a dad-of-four and grandpa-of-three, said: “It’s such a unique place to work and I’ve had so many highlights in my time at Glasgow Airport.

“It’s safe to say I’ve dealt with almost every kind of first aid incident in my time at the airport but the one I’d always hoped for was delivering a baby.”

John, from Milngavie, said he also enjoyed escorting a number of celebrities through the airport over the years - becoming starstruck at the very varied Portuguese football legend Eusebio and singer Kris Kirstofferson.

During his retirement John plans to visit New York - although his wife hates flying - where a poem he wrote is displayed on the wall of the New York Fire Department headquarters.

He also wrote the poem for the unveiling of the Citizen Firefighter bronze statue that sits outside Glasgow Central Station.

John said: “I’ll miss the staff – everyone from the cleaning staff to Amanda McMillan, the managing director.

“It’s such a great place to work and there’s such a buzz about the place.

“You experience it all here and that’s what I’ll miss the most – the hustle and bustle of Glasgow Airport.”