A POLICE officer and three members of the public have been recognised for their part in saving the life of a man who had been stabbed in the heart.

Lisa Jones found the man collapsed and unresponsive in Horden, near Peterlee, checked his wounds, put her coat under his head and helped off-duty nurse Kelly Percival carry out CPR.

They were joined by PC Jason Pool and continued CPR until paramedics arrived, while Lyndsey Hepburn – also a nurse – kept the man’s airways open.

An air ambulance took him to hospital where he underwent open heart surgery.

The four were among the recipients of lifesaving honours from the Royal Humane Society at a presentation at Durham Police headquarters.

Superintendent Colin Williamson, who presented the awards, said: “The Royal Humane Society awards are really special awards for people who have gone above and beyond to do something truly extraordinary and save a person’s life.

“It is a real honour to present these awards. I know it is impossible to fully reflect the magnitude and true value of saving someone’s life, but we hope that these awards go some way to showing our gratitude.”

Awards were given to those who played the part in saving six other lives.

These included PCSO Mark Rodgers and Robbie Beckwith who gave CPR to a table tennis player who collapsed at a league match at Ouston Community Centre, in Chester-le-Street, and PC David Taylor and PC Tony Barker who stopped a male bleeding to death at the roadside on the A68, near Crook.

PC Katherine Lawrence, Acting Sergeant Andrew Rochelle and Charlotte Trueman were praised for persuading a woman down from a top floor car park while PC Hannah Liddle, Inspector Neil Fuller and Temporary Sergeant Alan Newcombe aided in three separate incidents where people threatened to take their own life.

Chief Constable Mike Barton said: “When you’re watching the news or reading the newspaper, you can feel like there is only bad news going on in the world. But in reality, there are incredible things happening every day, as these awards just go to show. The humility and modesty just exudes out of these people who will say ‘I was just doing my job’.

“But we couldn’t do these jobs without the help of other people. This is a real team effort between the public, the police and the emergency services who are doing their very best to help other people.”