Award for passers-by who saved woman on bridge

Three passers-by who "clung to" a woman to prevent her from falling off a bridge have been given a police award.

Nicole Presland and brothers Dan and Ben Thompson got out of their cars to help a vulnerable woman on a bridge that crosses the A12, Essex Police said.

Nicole was driving through Braiswick near Colchester on a night in January when she saw a woman standing in the road who didn't react when she swerved around her.

Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said: "Many other people drove past the woman that night. It was late, it was dark, and it would have been easy for them to do the same, but they stopped and helped."

Nicole said: "I phoned 999 and I told them that she was not staggering, so she's not drunk, and she's standing in the middle of my lane.

"I was worried about her as we were heading towards the A12."

The brothers were returning from a show at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester when they spotted Nicole and the woman on the bridge.

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Below them on the A12, officers closed the road.

"It felt surreal," said Dan.

"You hear about these things happening, but you never think you're going to be the person responsible for stopping it. It took a while to process."

The trio were invited to Essex Police headquarters to receive official recognition for their actions.

Chief Constable Nolan said: "Nicole, Ben and Dan showed exceptional selflessness and courage to step in and help a vulnerable woman."

She said Nicole, Ben and Dan showed "exceptional determination" as they tried to comfort the woman and "clung onto her until the emergency services arrived".

"Without their intervention, there could have been a very different end to this story, and it was a privilege to invite them and their loved ones to headquarters to formally recognise their heroism."

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