An off-duty police officer saved a man from a burning car.

PC Mark Jones of the Roads and Crime Unit has won a Cheshire Police Federation Bravery Award.

It comes after he pulled an unresponsive man from a car that had caught on fire after a crash on the A543 near Congleton.

"I never expected anything like this – my first thought was that any other police officer would do the same," said PC Jones.

"I just think I was in the right place at the right time.

"If I was five minutes later driving down that road, I would have come across a car that was fully on fire. But it's really nice to be nominated."

Cheshire Police Federation chair Jamie Thompson added: "Despite Mark's modesty, he undoubtedly saved the man's life and showed great courage and resourcefulness when he had no police equipment on him and had to act alone in darkness and extreme danger.

"As always, this incident shows that police officers are never really off duty.

"Mark exemplifies the best of the best our profession.

"We are very proud of his life saving work and he is a worthy winner of a Bravery Award."

PC Mark Jones (Credit: Cheshire Police Federation)

PC Jones was driving home from work at 3am on September 28, 2024, when he saw a damaged car had collided with a tree on the side of the A543 near Congleton.

He stopped his car and phoned a colleague to find out if it was an abandoned vehicle from earlier in the day.

As he approached the vehicle he noticed flames coming out of the bonnet.

The car doors were locked and all the airbags had been deployed so he couldn't see if anyone was inside.

With the fire growing, PC Jones found a large tree branch and smashed the passenger-side window, allowing him to unlock the door.

Inside he found a man slumped behind the wheel.

"The flames were now really picking up and the heat inside the vehicle was incredible," PC Jones recalls.

"I was really struggling, to be honest. The front of the vehicle was crumpled in and the man's legs were trapped under the steering wheel. He was slumped forward and I struggled to get his seatbelt off. I was doing it all through the passenger side because the driver's side was in a hedge.

"I finally released the man's seatbelt and got it over him. I tried pulling and pulling him and that's when I realised his legs were stuck and it was not going to be easy at all.

"I saw a passing vehicle and tried to flag it down in the middle of the road, but it just carried on."

PC Jones added: "I was starting to panic, and when I went back in again to try and get him out, I felt like the heat was burning the side of my face. I was thinking: 'Is this thing going to blow up at any time?'. I knew I'd have to get this guy out in the next minute or two.

"I managed to twist him, then yanked for what felt like forever. I got him underneath his arms, and after one big, massive pull he came out. I pulled him up and over the passenger seat and onto the road, and then dragged him 50 metres up the road."

PC Jones will attend the Bravery Awards on March 20 (Credit: Cheshire Police)

The man made a full recovery and was later prosecuted for drink driving.

He was banned from driving for 20 months and received a total of £1,030 in fines.

PC Jones will attend the 2025 Cheshire Police Federation Bravery Awards on Thursday, March 20.

At the event an overall winner will be announced, who will travel to London for the National Police Federation Bravery Awards in July.