Police officers who saved a badly injured driver seconds before his car exploded were honoured for their "exceptional courage" yesterday.

The officers - Sergeant Graham Brown and Constables Paul Ryans, Debbie Goad, Judith Dunning and Gordon Reid - found a car had plunged down a banking and crashed into an electricity sub-station, before bursting into flames.

A motorist who had been passing on the A688, between West Auckland and Staindrop, County Durham, told the officers he could hear cries coming from the car, but could not get near because of the ferocity of the blaze.

The officers approached the car without thought for their own safety, a Durham Police spokesman said yesterday, and found the 29-year-old driver seriously injured and lying a few feet from the rear of the vehicle.

He was semi-conscious and had sustained open breaks to his left leg and facial injuries.

The officers lifted the man to safety and were about 20ft away from the car when its petrol tank exploded.

Inspector George Ledger paid tribute to the bravery the Durham officers showed early on January 21 this year.

He said: "The dangers posed by the fire were compounded by the fact there were live electricity cables strewn around the area.''

The officers were presented with commendations from the Chief Constable of Durham Police, George Hedges.