A MAN has been honoured for his courage and quick-thinking.

Gerald Osborne, from Middlesbrough, was presented with an award from St John Ambulance at a ceremony at Darlington Town Hall on Thursday.

Mr Osborne, 52, was praised for helping victims of a serious accident on the A66 in December last year.

He was parked in a lay-by, heading towards Middlesbrough, when he heard a crash, and helped PC Michael Davison to enter one of the cars and free a two-year-old girl from a seat.

The child had stopped breathing, but the pair carried out heart massage and the kiss of life and, after a few minutes, she started breathing again and was taken to hospital.

Mr Osborne, a trained firstaider, said: "I never normally stop in the lay-by.

"I've never done first aid to that degree. I'm quite proud of myself, because as a result of what we did, the little girl started breathing again.

"I never really expected anything, it's just something you do."