A police officer who saved four people from a burning building was honoured for her bravery at an awards ceremony.
The heroism of 24 officers and two members of the public was recognised during an event at the force’s headquarters in Hutton.
Among those celebrated was PC Hayley Twist, who noticed a fire at a block of flats in Fulwood, Preston on June 9, 2010.
She called firefighters and then entered the burning building at great risk to her own safety.
Flames were ripping through the roof, causing burning pieces of material to be fired into the air and onto the road.
It was clear people living in the flats needed waking up, so PC Twist banged on all the doors to evacuate the building and helped four people reach safety. The occupier of the flat where the fire started was arrested on suspicion of arson and cultivating cannabis.
A man who helped police during a serious motorway crash received an award for his actions alongside PC Stuart Rawsthorne after an incident at Charnock Richard Services.
On October 22, 2009, a vehicle left the M6 carriageway, hit a lamppost and ended up in a field.
The driver was badly injured and trapped in the vehicle. Keith Jones witnessed the crash and went to his aid, where he was joined by PC Rawsthorne.
Smoke was coming from the vehicle and the pair were hampered by jagged metal and broken glass.
They used a tourniquet to stem bleeding from a severed artery in the man’s thigh and stabilised him until medical help arrived.
Lancashire Police Chief Constable Steve Finnigan said: “It makes me feel immensely proud as a chief constable that our frontline officers and members of the public often put themselves into dangerous situations in order to protect and help others or to apprehend offenders.
“They have all gone above and beyond what is expected and we want to show our appreciation for their courageous actions.”
For more on the awards see a picture special in Thursday’s Evening Post.
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