PCs rushed to help man on fire, dousing him in lake

Four police officers rushed to help a man engulfed in flames, rolling him on the ground before manoeuvring him into a nearby lake to put out the flames.

PCs Daniel Secker, Hannah Nutter, Chloe Hopwood and Sophia Welsh were attending an unrelated call in Fleetwood, Lancashire, when they spotted smoke in the distance and found a man who was already fully on fire.

Secker and Nutter focusing on helping the victim while Hopwood and Welsh extinguished the spreading fire - and now the group have been nominated for a national bravery award.

Lancashire Police Federation secretary Stuart Parry said the PCs had shown "extreme courage" while working as a team.

Secker told BBC Radio Lancashire he had acted "on instinct" while he and Nutter rolled the man on the ground, patted down the flames and shouted instructions for him to roll.

He said: "Most incidents you can prepare for because you at least get some kind of circumstances - this was straight in at the deep end."

After taking the man to the lake, both officers got him out on to dry land and stayed with him until paramedics arrived.

"We just sprung into action," Nutter said.

"We don't go to work to get these awards, we go to work to do our job and get home safe.

"But for our sergeant to think 'you know what, this day was particularly hard for them and I think what they did was fantastic' we were shocked, but I think it's great to be recognised."

While the incident unfolded, Hopwood retrieved a fire extinguisher from the police vehicle.

She and Welsh put out the surrounding fire, which was spreading quickly.

Welsh said the incident was "definitely scary".

"When we first ran over we didn't understand what was happening because nothing could have prepared us for it," she said.

"But I think it was a lot of nerve and a lot of adrenaline kicking in [with us] thinking 'what do we do?' and we just had to work together to get the best result for us and him."

While medics managed to get a pulse for the man, he later died in hospital.

All four officers, who suffered smoke inhalation and required hospital treatment, have been nominated for the Police Federation Bravery Awards in London later this week.

Lancashire's Chief Constable Sacha Hatchett said they all "acted without hesitation or thought for their own safety".

She added: "Their swift, selfless actions almost certainly preserved life at the scene in the most harrowing of circumstances.

"Their courage, professionalism and empathy exemplify the very best of policing, and I could not be more proud of them."

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