A heroic off-duty police officer rescued two small children from the hard shoulder of a motorway after their drunk grandad was passed out face down in a bush.
PCSO Aaron Sparrow-Woods saw one of the youngsters stood beside a car that was pulled up on the hard shoulder of the A1(M) near Newton Aycliffe in County Durham after finishing his shift one day last year.
He decided to pull over, but was shocked to find the kids' granddad face down on the grass verge.
The 65-year-old had drunk so much, he was unable to stand, so Aaron stayed with the children until police arrived.
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He was found to be three times over the limit, and was arrested for drink driving and child neglect.
The kids, aged five and two, were thankfully unharmed and were picked up by their dad.
Appearing in court, the man pleaded guilty and was given a two-year driving ban, a £1,000 fine and was also made to pay court costs and a victim surcharge.
Officer Sparrow-Woods has since been nominated for a commander's commendation for 'going above and beyond' to ensure the children's safety.
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Inspector Mike Sammut, said: "Despite putting himself in danger by stopping on the hard shoulder, Aaron stayed with the children and reported the incident which ultimately led to the man's arrest.
"More importantly, his actions prevented two young children coming to serious harm and it's fair to say that without Aaron's intervention that day things could have ended very differently.
"Following the man's arrest, Aaron worked with the investigating officers for a further four hours to assist with the investigation.
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"His actions were exemplary actions at the scene and his dedication afterwards show the very best of our officers who always go above and beyond to help protect the public."
Aaron added: "Sometimes you just have to follow your gut instinct and thankfully no one was injured - it could have been a far worse outcome.
"My on-duty colleagues and paramedics were quickly on the scene and I'm glad the children could be safeguarded."
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