AMBULANCE chiefs today praised a pair of quick-thinking angels of mercy who leapt into action to save the lives of two badly injured road accident victims.

Transport staff Sam Shaw and Cath Taylor were taking two elderly patients home from hospital when they came across a head-on crash between two cars in Marsden Road, Burnley at shortly after 11.30am yesterday.

The couple immediately pulled over and raced to the scene where they gave first aid to the two drivers before paramedics arrived to take over.

Ambulance bosses today said their actions may well have saved the life of at least one one of the two injured men.

But the two modest heroines said they were just doing their job.

Dave Rigby, assistant operations manager at Lancashire Ambulance Trust and the man in charge of patient transport services, said: "It is quite possible they saved the life of at least one of the drivers who had breathing problems because they were able to give him oxygen very quickly."

Ambulance transport staff receive some first-aid training when they join the service and attend regular refresher courses.

However, it is very unusual for staff from the service to be involved in emergency situations like the smash in Marsden Road.

Cath, 51, who lives in Nelson, said she had worked for the service for three years and had never been involved in such a serious incident.

She said: "This was a first for me. Although we do receive training when we join I have never had to put it to use before.

"I was driving the ambulance when I saw the crash which had obviously only just happened. We immediately pulled over and Sam grabbed the oxygen and first-aid box and went to the drivers while I called ambulance control. Neither of us really had time to think, it was just a case of our training kicking in and acting on instinct."

Sam, 27, also of Nelson, added: "We were taking a couple of patients home from hospital and had only been going for five minutes when we came across the accident.

"It was just natural instinct to go and help and we gave first aid while we waited for the paramedics to arrive then we just gave them assistance until the injured parties were ready to be taken to hospital.

"We made sure the patients we were taking home knew what was going on and I'm sure they understood."

Mr Rigby said: "I am very proud of the way Sam and Cath handled the situation, especially bearing in mind that they had their own patients to look after.

"All our staff are given training in how to give emergency first aid and administer oxygen, but it is very unusual for them to be first on scene as in this case.

"It's always important in a situation like this to get treatment to victims as quickly as possible and this is exactly what Cath and Sam did."

The drivers of both cars involved in the collision were taken to Burnley General Hospital suffering from chest and possible spinal injuries.