A Margaretting man who stopped on a motorway to rescue a baby from a blazing car has received a top bravery award.

Denis Clift, 63, of Maldon Road, was presented with the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire award at a ceremony at Essex Police headquarters in Springfield.

Recalling the incident in October last year, Mr Clift, 63, a father of four who runs Auto Assist at Margaretting said he was on the M6 at Corley, Warwickshire, returning from delivering a car when he saw a BMW 5 Series car on fire and a woman standing by it, but no-one was stopping.

Mr Corley telephoned the emergency services, blocked off two lanes with his lorry, and got the woman, who was holding a child on to the hard shoulder.

Mr Clift said: "She then told me there was another child in the car in the back seat.

"The front seats of the car were on fire. I got the child out of the safety seat and she was okay."

Mr Clift was reunited with the mother, Mrs Jane O'Sullivan, the baby he saved, Rosie, other child Charlie and dad Mr Patrick O'Sullivan at last Wednesday's presentation.

Warwickshire acting chief constable Michael Brewer and one of his constables, Pc John Newbury, made the presentation, praising Mr Clift for his life-saving efforts.

Would Mr Clift do the same thing again? "Of course I would," he said. "I don't know why nobody else was stopping."

Life saver - Denis Clift (centre) with wife Wendy, Mrs O'Sullivan with Rosie and Mr O'Sullivan with Charlie.

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