A HEROIC Kidderminster police officer who helped save the life of a man who collapsed in Bewdley has received a national honour.

PC Michael Harrison, along with Malvern man Stuart Hart, were each awarded the Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificate after saving a man who fell at the roadside while walking with his wife in Severn Side South.

The 65-year-old had been out for lunch with his wife shortly before he collapsed and was spotted by Mr Hart who was driving along the road.

He immediately went to the man’s aid and began administering CPR before PC Harrison joined the effort to revive him.

An ambulance and doctor then arrived at the scene and the man was stabilised before being air-lifted to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

He was released from hospital a week later.

PC Harrison said: “What I love about being a police officer is the not knowing what will happen next.

“The desire to help people and to do my best to protect the most vulnerable is what drives me every time I put my uniform on.

“I always hoped I would never have to put it into practice, but on that day, for me and my colleagues, we would have to put everything we had learned in a classroom into saving another man’s life.

“Receiving the Royal Humane Society award was an extremely proud moment in my career."

When announcing the awards at the Society’s London headquarters, secretary Andrew Chapman said: “They did a superb job and, thanks to them, the man survived.

“In this sort of situation, it’s vital that CPR is started as soon as possible and, thanks to the fact Mr Hart was driving past at the time the man collapsed, it was.

"He was certainly the right person in the right place at the right time.

“Then, when PC Harrison arrived at the scene, it was teamwork and in difficult circumstances by the side of the road.

“They both richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”