TWO Basingstoke police officers who arrived in the nick of time to prevent a 50-year-old local man dying after he hanged himself are to receive top national life-saving honours.

The officers have been praised by the Royal Humane Society for being “the right people in the right place at the right time.”

PCs Ian Castle and Katie McGloin were first on the scene in Carpenter’s Down, Popley, on January 19, where the man was hanging from a branch 15 feet up.

PC McGloin climbed the tree and cut the cord holding the man and PC Castle broke his fall.

They then immediately began administering CPR and kept up the procedure until an ambulance arrived. As a result of their swift action the man survived.

Now, the two officers have been awarded Royal Humane Society resuscitation certificates. And in addition to the awards, they have won the personal praise of Andrew Chapman, secretary of the Royal Humane Society.

Mr Chapman said: “Thankfully they were on the spot very rapidly and were able to assess the situation immediately and get the man down from the tree.

Without question they were the right people in the right place at the right time.

“Incidents like this are harrowing but they did a magnificent job and as a result of their action the man survived. They richly deserve the awards they are to receive.

“This incident is yet another one that emphasises the value of as many people as possible – members of the public as well as members of the emergency services - getting trained to administer CPR. No-one wants to have to use it but it can, as in this case make the difference between life and death.”

The award, which will be presented to the two officers, is part of the scheme run by the Royal Humane Society, which praises officers for acts of bravery in the saving of human life and also for the restoration of life by resuscitation.

The charity dates back to 1774 by William Hawes and Thomas Cogan, with their primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation.

Since it was set up, the society has considered over 87,000 cases and made over 200,000 awards, including to non-health care professionals.

The society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.

For more information about the awards, visit royalhumanesociety.org.uk