A COMMUNITY safety officer has lived up to his title and is now in line to receive a Royal Humane Society award for saving a drowning woman.

Martin Greenwood, of Porlock, did not hesitate when he saw an apparently suicidal woman attempting to drown herself in the fast-flowing River North Tyne in Northumberland.

Mr Greenwood, who works as a community safety officer for West Somerset District Council, waded out to help the woman after attempts to persuade her to return to the bank failed.

While his companion Angela Sampson went to raise the alarm, Mr Greenwood had to struggle with the woman to keep her head above the water.

"The biggest difficulty I had was keeping hold of her in a fast flowing river as she continually battled with me to let her go," he said.

"Had the police and air ambulance not responded so quickly, I would have really struggled to keep a grip of her for more than ten minutes and I don't think she would have remained conscious for much longer."

Mr Greenwood was recommended for the Royal Humane Society award by the chief constable of Northumbria Police.

He also received praise from Major General Christopher Tyler, the society's secretary, who said: "Mr Greenwood was at risk of being swept away by the treacherous undercurrents in this biting cold river and yet he waded in with scant thought of his own safety.

"This award is testimony to his selfless courage."

Mr Greenwood had only been on holiday in Northumbria for some two hours when the drama happened in January this year.

He will receive his award at a special presentation ceremony later this year.