WHILE on foot patrol in Darwen town centre, PC Paul Jackson was alerted to a drunken suicidal man armed with a razor blade.

The man, in his early 20s, slashed his own wrist with the razor and tried to bite the officer. Paramedics called to the scene said the man could have died without intervention.

To the Darwen-based PC it was just another day at work but he, along with PC Roger Morris who assisted him, was given the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Award for good police work earlier this year.

Their actions last July are a shining example of the type of outstanding vocational workers who might be nominated for our latest Pride of East Lancashire Award.

Despite the danger to himself, PC Jackson approached the man and tried to stem the blood flow using the man's shirt. The man, who was losing a lot of blood, pulled away and tried to bite the officer which resulted in a struggle as he became increasingly aggressive.

PC Jackson said: "I just went into auto-pilot, it was all a blur at the time. It is really down to instinct and the police training takes over.

"I was in shock myself after it happened and it didn't sink in until I got back to the station, then I thought, 'Oh my God' but I never questioned whether or not I would return to the job.

"Things like this and worse have happened before and will probably happen again. Most other officers would have followed the same route."

When PC Morris arrived at the bus station he helped his colleague calm the man down while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

He was eventually taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary in a police van because of his violent conduct and was treated for a 3in laceration to his wrist.

Paramedics said that without treatment he might have died.

Our award for Outstanding Vocational Worker is open to all men and women in East Lancashire who go that extra mile and excel in their workplace.

Nominations could include members of the emergency services, health workers, men and women of the armed forces, people who work in the community - anyone who works extra hard to benefit others.

Nominees might have stood out with one isolated incident or may be workers who continuously put in a lot of extra effort.

To nominate a friend, colleague, relative or even yourself log on to www.thisislancashire.co.uk or complete a coupon in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph or Citizen. Nominations for all 11 Pride of East Lancashire Awards must be received by September 30.