PC Timothy Forber.

PC Spencer Scott-Page.

Two policemen who braved the Thames to save people drowning have beenhonoured by the Royal Humane Society.

PC Timothy Forber, from Teddington police station, and PC SpencerScott-Page, who is based at Richmond police station were presented theirawards by the South West Area Assistant Commissioner Denis O' Connor.

The two officers were commended for their quick thinking on two separateoccasions.

In September last year PC Spencer Scott-Page plucked an emotionallydisturbed woman from the Thames.

PC Tim Forber had to jump into the icy waters in the last week ofDecember to rescue a woman who had jumped into the Thames.

The policeman who was still on probation at the time said: "It hadnothing to do with being in the police. Anybody would have done the samething because if I had not jumped in she would have drowned and I wouldhave had to live with that."

At the time Superintendent Tim Jackson said of PC Forber: "We arevery proud of him. He went above and beyond the line of duty and in thecircumstances was very brave."

A spokesman for the police said: "You could say they were only doingtheir job but to jump into the Thames in December takes a lot of guts. Weare all very proud of them."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.