THE bravery of a good Samaritan has been recognised, more than three years after he dragged a badly injured motorist from a blazing car.

Fred Webster was nominated by Cleveland Police for the Italian Giancario Tofi awards for his actions following an accident on the A177, at Thorpe Thewles, in December 1996.

Mr Webster dragged an unconscious driver from the wreckage of a burning car and then returned to make sure that there were no other passengers.

He then pulled the driver further away as the car exploded, sending a fireball towards the two men.

Cleveland Police immediately applied for the international bravery award for Mr Webster, but the awards' administration centre in Assisi, Italy, was thrown into chaos when it was damaged by an earthquake.

Following the disaster, it took three years for Mr Webster's parchment award certificate, adding his name to a roll of honour, to be sent to Middlesbrough.

Yesterday, Chief Constable Barry Shaw presented the certificate to Mr Webster at police headquarters.

Other awards for good conduct and long service medals were also presented to police officers at the ceremony.

These included an award for the ten-strong team of prison and police officers who were involved in the perjury inquiry linked to the murder of Julie Hogg, of Billingham.

Their work resulted in the conviction of 37-year-old Billy Dunlop earlier this year for perjury. He had lied during two murder trials in 1991, denying he had killed her, but later confessed while in prison for another offence