A group of five quick thinking and brave police officers have received top awards for their efforts in preventing a woman jumping from Great Yarmouth's Breydon Bridge.

PCs Dan Brown, Dean Harrison, Tony Hogan, Mark Saggers and Katie Swann have all been awarded Royal Humane Society certificates for their life saving actions relating to the incident on September 6 last year.

The incident on Breydon Bridge saw a Lowestoft woman threatening to jump into the treacherous tidal waters below in the River Yare.

When the Yarmouth-based officers arrived, the woman was standing outside safety railings and as PCs Hogan and Brown approached her she leaned forward as if she was going to jump off the bridge.

However, they managed to grab hold of her and then, with the help of PCs Harrison and PC Saggers, pulled her back to safety.

PC Swann, who by then had reached the scene, began talking to the woman and reassuring her until an ambulance arrived.

The officers' certificates follow a recommendation from Norfolk police which said that had the woman jumped or fallen the impact would 'almost certainly have killed her or caused life-changing injuries'.

No date has yet been fixed for presentation of the awards to the five Yarmouth officers but it is expected to take place in the near future.

As he announced the awards at the Royal Humane Society's headquarters in London, Dick Wilkinson, the society's secretary, also praised the officers.

Mr Wilkinson said: 'This was superb team work. And thanks to that team work the woman is alive. The officers did an excellent job and truly deserve the awards they are to receive.'

The five officers have also been praised by Supt Roger Wiltshire, head of Yarmouth police.

He said: 'I'd like to congratulate these officers who have shown incredible dedication and bravery.

'All five officers showed calmness and professionalism in what was a traumatic situation and their selfless actions undoubtedly saved the life of a vulnerable woman.'

The Royal Humane Society was founded in 1774 and has made over 200,000 awards to life savers of all kinds since its formation.

The Queen is the charity's patron and its president is Princess Alexandra.