THREE police officers who saved a man's life after he turned himself into a human fireball have been honoured for their actions.

The Society for the Preservation of Life from Fire has issued awards to PC Paul Oliver, PC Paul Jackson and PC Stephen Brant in recognition of their involvement with an incident in Ferryhill, County Durham, in September 2013.

A woman had contacted police warning that her former partner was threatening to set himself on fire in Gladstone Terrace and was carrying a fuel can towards the petrol station.

The trio, all road policing officers, joined their local colleagues searching for the 49-year-old man and PC Oliver located his vehicle in a layby near Metal Bridge.

He was joined soon after by PC Jackson and PC Brant and they smelled petrol as they spotted the man running along a nearby dirt track.

As they approached him, he emptied the remaining petrol over his head and set himself alight.

The officers ran towards him and tried unsuccessfully to beat out the flames as they engulfed him.

PC Jackson removed his body armour and used it in an attempt to smother the flames, which were doused by fire extinguishers brought to the scene by other officers. He then administered oxygen from a medical kit in one of the cars.

The man was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough. The officers continued to help to care for the man throughout the journey.

Chief Inspector Alison Jackson, head of the Cleveland and Durham Special Operations Unit, said: “These officers showed great courage and bravery by following this man into a potentially dangerous situation and putting their own safety aside in a bid to save his life.

“Their quick thinking and determination to preserve the man’s life in extremely difficult circumstances is not only a tremendous credit to them but also to the force.”