Shropshire officers make final rounds of Pride of Britain Awards

PCs Alex Saxton and Tim Blackham, who are both based at Shrewsbury police station, this morning appeared on ITV’s Daybreak to talk about the incident which earned them their nomination.

Out of hundreds of nominees, the pair are now just one of the four remaining emergency crews to make the final cut in the Daybreak Emergency Services Award category.

PC Saxton, aged 30, and PC Blackham, aged 32, were nominated for rescuing a man from a burning car following a collision in Telford earlier this year. The man was trapped in the front passenger seat of the vehicle and had serious head injuries.

Speaking about the incident, PC Saxton said: “We tried to control the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the fire was too fierce. We then attempted to pull the man from the car but he was trapped in the wreckage by his legs and we were unable to unfasten his seatbelt.

“As the car door was jammed, we realised we’d have to get into the car, cut him free from his seat and pull him out through the window.”

By this time, the flames were burning through the foot well of the passenger side of the car and the thick, toxic smoke was making the officers’ rescue efforts more difficult and dangerous.

PC Blackham added: “We managed to release the trapped driver and pull him to safety with just moments to spare, before the whole car went up in flames.

“We administered first aid to the passenger who was then taken to hospital with serious head, pelvis and leg injuries. Thankfully, he survived and is now undergoing physiotherapy and rehabilitation.”

Saxton and Blackham were later praised for the bravery they displayed during the incident by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and received a Chief Fire Officer’s Commendation.

The officers will find out this Friday if they have been chosen by the judging panel as overall winners in their category.

The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards will air on ITV on Tuesday, 8 October.