A POLICE officer on a night out with colleagues was badly injured after falling down steps outside a pub.

The off-duty officer slipped trying to navigate the narrow stone steps in wet conditions at the Inn on the Wharf, Manchester Road, Burnley.

He landed face first and ended up with his head wedged underneath a parked car.

A team of firefighters who came to his rescue have been hailed ‘superheroes’ — after lifting the one-tonne Ford KA from the stricken officer.

He was then taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital by paramedics who said he was ‘quite seriously ill with serious head injuries’.

The officer, who has not been named, was then transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital for more specialist treatment.

However yesterday a spokesman for the police said the officer’s condition had improved.

He is expected to be kept in hospital for another couple of days.

The incident happened on Friday at 10.40pm.

Burnley fire crew manager Andy Coulton said the officer, in his 40s, was conscious when they arrived, but then passed out soon after and was bleeding from a head wound.

Around five firefighters lifted the car and rolled it backwards to enable paramedics to treat the officer.

Mr Coulton said: “He had a serious head injury, a nasty gash and had lost consciousness.

“We had to get him out quickly so we used brute force to lift the car. It was a bit like superheroes.

“It was a very strange job. The car was in the pub car park at the bottom of the steps so he must have fallen over and his momentum slid him underneath. He had definitely been drinking.

“Quite a lot of his colleagues were gathered round concerned for him.”

A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service told of paramedics’ role: “We took him to Royal Blackburn Hospital on ‘standby’ which means he was quite seriously ill with serious head injuries.

“He certainly had lacerations to his head. What internal injuries they were, we don’t know.”

The Inn on the Wharf pub manager Paul Young said he hoped the officer was okay.

He added: “I wasn’t on duty at the time, but I’ve heard about it and sounds serious.

“It was a very busy night and there was a crowd of people around.

“We occasionally do get some of the local officers in after their shifts.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said the officer did not wish to be named.

He confirmed the officer had gone out drinking after work.

The spokesman said: “It is not as serious as first thought and he is sitting up and is talking.

“He will probably be kept in hospital for a couple of days.”