A BLACKPOOL hero who snatched a lorry driver from his cab just before it was engulfed in flames will be honoured with a special police award today (Thursday).

Truck driver Victor Stowe, who lives in Cleveleys, will receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Staffordshire's Chief Constable for his part in the daring rescue of the driver after a pile-up on the M6 last year.

Victor, and a second man, Clive Tonkins of Tregaron, West Wales, used debris to smash through the windscreen of the jackknifed truck which caught fire in the pile-up.

The blaze was so intense it melted the tipper's trailer.

But the two men pulled the driver clear seconds before the blaze destroyed the cab -- and he escaped with only minor cuts and grazes. Chief Constable John Giffard praised Victor's actions as courageous and 'public spirited'.

"This was a rescue in the face of a very real threat. If they had not succeeded the consequences could have been fatal," he said.

Before the rescue, Victor had also tried to beat back the flames with a fire extinguisher from his own vehicle, which was also involved in the pile-up.

Victor will be get his certificate at a special ceremony later today.