SIX police officers have been praised for rescuing a man with a noose around his neck from the roof of his home in Burnley.

Letters of appreciation for good police work have been presented to Sergeant Des Barr and Constables Damian Darcy, Neil Morris, Jarron Sharp, David Williams and Jonathan Whitehead.

There was a double award for PC Williams, who received a second commendation for tackling a man who had doused himself in petrol and was threatening to set himself on fire in Rawtenstall shopping precinct.

Supt Alf Hitchcock, operations manager for the Pennine Police Division which covers Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, said during an arrest at a house in Burnley a man climbed on to the roof and tied a noose around his neck. He was in serious danger of falling. Officers went on to the roof through an upstairs window and others scaled a ladder behind the house and were able to prevent him from falling. They cut the noose from around his neck.

In the Rawtenstall incident, the man was completely soaked in petrol and was holding the lighter threatening to set himself on fire.

PC Williams asked for the other emergency services to attend and talked to the man trying to calm him down.

The man continually doused himself in petrol which spread out over the pavement.

PC Williams realised he was standing in a pool of petrol but kept his position.

The fire service arrived and without warning the man lit the cigarette lighter.

He was immediately doused with water by the fire crews as PC Williams leapt on him and took the lighter from him.

Supt Hitchcock commented: "The Division is proud to have such a high calibre policing as shown by these officers.''

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.