TWO police officers have received commendations for helping protect a vulnerable Middlesbrough woman found running into the A66 as cars whizzed by.

PC Matthew Simpson and PC Ian Stapley worked alongside three female members of the public to make sure the woman was safe.

The vulnerable woman, who was reported missing from another police force area, was spotted in January in her car on the A66 as it cuts through Middlesbrough.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: “With the assistance of PC Stapley and PC Simpson, the vehicle was brought to a stop near to the A19 interchange and it was clear at this point that the woman was extremely vulnerable and she dashed off into the busy and fast lanes of the A66 in the dark. Thankfully, three kind women stopped to assist the officers by taking traffic cones and placing them in the live lane to fend off traffic on the dark and busy road until further assistance from police and ambulance service arrived.