A POLICE officer is set to become a hat-trick hero after being recommended for his third commendation in five years.

Sergeant Neil Persechino, is in line for his latest accolade after saving a man who tied a rope around his neck and threatened to jump off a motorway bridge.

He also has several other commendations dating back over a number of years for arrests but the two recent awards were for high risk work.

On one occasion, he talked a man down from the roof of the multi-storey car park in Ainsworth Street, Blackburn, with two other officers.

The other award was presented for his part in talking a man off the middle lane of the M65 carriageway near junction seven.

The man was holding a knife to his own throat and threatening suicide.

Inspector Steve Haworth, of Eastern Division, revealed yesterday that the sergeant, who runs the dog handling unit in Accrington, will be recommended for a commendation after the incident, which happened last Sunday while he was off duty.

Today Sgt Persechino said he was pleased to be nominated again and admitted he had already been given two divisional commendations.

"It's excellent news. I have had two commendations before. I just seem to attract the wrong type of people," he commented.

Yesterday the man involved denied he had ever intended to jump, saying he had done it to get his girlfriend back after they had split up, but a passer-by said he would be dead if it was not for the intervention of Sgt Persechino.

He spotted the man dangling from the bridge over the M65 at Altham with a rope tied around his neck and the other end tied to the bridge.

Sgt Persechino put himself in danger when his feet left the ground as he leaned over the railings to pull the man back up.