Two Swaffham police officers who risked their lives to pull a severely injured driver to safety from his wrecked car are to receive top national bravery honours.
PCs Thomas Allison, 38, and Mark Whitmore, 36, put their own lives on the line to get the driver, who had suffered head injuries and whose arm had been severed in the accident on the A1101 near Wisbech, out from a vehicle that could have burst into flames at any time.
Both officers will be awarded the Royal Humane Society certificates of commendation and the society's secretary Andrew Chapman said: 'They put themselves in real danger by getting into the vehicle to pull the critically injured driver to safety. Although there was no fire at the time they knew the vehicle could catch fire at any moment.
'Despite this they entered the vehicle, moved seats to free the trapped man and then pulled him out getting covered in blood in the process. Then they fought to stem the flow of blood until by chance an ambulance was passing the scene, stopped and paramedics took over.
'What the two officers did took courage and skill. They richly deserve the awards they are to receive.'
The driver of the car had been involved in a head on collision with a lorry at around 1.30am in the morning of November 16 last year.
This is the second time PC Mark Whitmore has been honoured by the Royal Humane Society after he rushed to help a motorcyclist who was involved in a collision with a car in Wheatley Bank, Walsoken last June.
Norfolk police, in their recommendation to the society that the officers should receive the awards said: 'The actions of the officers almost certainly prevented the casualty suffocating at scene and enabled access to injuries that likely prevented death through loss of blood.'
The Royal Humane Society was founded in 1774 and awards a variety of awards for acts of bravery.
It also awards non health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation. Since it was set up the Society has considered over 87,000 cases and made over 200,000 awards. The Society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.
It was one of a select number of organisations to receive a donation from the Patron's fund which was set up to acknowledge work done by organisations of which the Queen is the patron, to mark her 90th birthday.
No date has yet been fixed for presentation of the awards but it is expected to take place soon.
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