A POLICEMAN has been hailed a hero after he brought two heroin users back to life after they overdosed at a house in Blackburn -- just hours after being released from rehabilitation.

PC Geoff Warburton administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the pair, who are not from Blackburn, after finding himself at the house before paramedics.

Today, staff at Blackburn Ambulance Station, who were called to the scene in the Brookhouse area, said PC Warburton's quick-thinking actions had probably saved the lives of the un-named pair.

PC Warburton had been in the area earlier in the day as part of the latest phase of Operation Enforce, which was targeting drug-dealers within the Eastern Division of Lancashire Police.

Three people were arrested as a result of Monday's operation and have been bailed pending forensic tests.

Their arrests followed seizures of cocaine and heroin.

But PC Warburton agreed to stay in the area after police noted a high number of drug-users milling around.

He said: "We were called by paramedics who had been called to the house and because I was in the area I got there first.

"One of the men was purple. Both were unconscious, so I administered mouth-to-mouth before the ambulance team arrived.

"It was difficult because there were two of them to deal with at once but I was just doing my job."

Insp Mick Laraway, of Blackburn Police, said: "These men had taken an overdose of heroin which is how they ended up unconscious.

"They were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary and have since been released.

"They are not from Blackburn.

"We are not pursuing proceedings against them. We believe it was an overdose rather than a bad batch of drugs."

A spokesman for Blackburn Ambulance said: "The policeman's efforts certainly helped keep the men going until we arrived.

"We administered drugs to counter the effects of the heroin and took them to hospital."