A POLICE officer who saved the life of a mother-of-two has been praised for his actions.

PC Ellis Hutchinson has also been thanked by the woman's family after he foiled her attempt to kill herself last December.

He was on routine patrol early one afternoon when he saw a car parked at Washpool Crag, three miles south of Stanhope, County Durham, a remote area popular with walkers and sightseers.

Slumped unconscious inside the car was a woman in her forties. Beside her on the front passenger seat were a number of empty tablet boxes, a partially empty whisky bottle and a note to her family.

PC Hutchinson, 34, a trained first-aider who has been with the force seven years, worked quickly to get the woman into the recovery position.

Using his mobile because his radio was out of range, he alerted colleagues and directed an ambulance to the scene.

In the 20 minutes if took for paramedics to arrive, he monitored her breathing and heart rate and kept her warm.

Hospital staff said the woman, who lived outside County Durham, had almost died. Married with two grown-up children, she had been suffering stress. She has since recovered.

PC Hutchinson said: "It certainly seemed like a long time before help arrived. I kept trying to rouse her without any success and just kept making sure she was still breathing."

He has received a Letter of Appreciation from the Chief Medical Officer of St John Ambulance, Dr Tony Lee.