A HERO who put himself between a charging elephant and his wife has been honoured with an award for bravery.

Stephen Street, of Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, made the headlines after saving the lives of his wife, Margaret, and her two friends, during a trip to Botswana.

They had been walking near a group of elephants and their calves, when one of the females charged towards them. Realising that it was not going to stop, Mr Street started waving and screaming to divert the animal in his direction.

It charged into him, kicking, butting and trampling him into the ground, and when a guide shot the elephant, it fell on top of him, trapping his legs. After a five-hour wait, Mr Street was taken to hospital in a coma, with life-threatening injuries, from which he made a full recovery.

Yesterday, he was recognised for his bravery when he received the Order of St John's Silver Life-Saving Medal, at a ceremony in London.

The Reverend Alan Leighton, who nominated him for the award, said: "Steven is a very modest man - he's Mr Average, but he is a man whose moment came and he chose to live for someone else. He's a great guy."

Lord Slynn, who made the presention, said: "The award of the Order of St John's Silver Life-Saving Medal, which dates back over 100 years, is made even more exceptional by the unusual circumstances of Stephen's story."

Another award winner at the ceremony was Traffic Constable Derek Houselander, of York, who also received the Silver Life-Saving Medal, for trying to rescue a man who was attempting to swim across the flooded River Ouse.

Lieutenant Colonel George Adrian Watson, of Ormesby, became a member of the Order of St John