FOUR Dudley police officers who used a belt as an emergency tourniquet to treat a man who had slashed his wrist have received top bravery honours.

Response PCs Dean Russell, Matthew Saul, David Tarbuck and Luke Wooldridge received their Royal Humane Society awards last week for saving the man during a call-out in Pensnett.

The officers attended an address in Belmont Road on August 18, 2014, to find a man had self-harmed with a craft knife.

The man was drifting in and out of consciousness due to the blood loss and after administering first aid − and with an ambulance estimated to be nine minutes away − they drove the patient directly to hospital where he made a full recovery.

They were joined at the awards by Inspector Steve Gordon and Sergeant Jon Andrews who fought to save a man after he slashed his own throat following a double stabbing at a house in Stourbridge.

The society described the scene Insp Gordon and Sgt Andrews encountered in Robins Close, in Oldswinford, on the night of October 31, 2014, as a “blood bath”.

They were called to the house after reports of a disturbance and when they arrived they found two sisters suffering from stab wounds.

The 49-year-old attacker, John Loveridge, had cut his neck from ear to ear, but despite the severity of his injury, the pair managed to stem the blood flow before paramedics took over.

Ambulance crews which attended the incident said the officers “undoubtedly” saved the man’s life and “could not believe" they managed to stem the blood loss.

Insp Gordon said: “I feel highly honoured that the Royal Humane Society feel that what Sgt Andrews and I did that night warrants such a prestigious award. I am just thankful that the victims and the attacker all made full recoveries.

“As a response inspector for me the award represents all police officers, particularly response, who never know what they will be faced with, or deal with on a daily basis."

Loveridge was jailed for 10-and-a-half years at Wolverhampton Crown Court last year for stabbing the two women before turning the knife on himself.

All six officers were presented with their accolades at a West Midlands Police bravery awards ceremony in Tally Ho, Edgbaston.