A PAIR of volunteer police officers helped save the life of a woman who collapsed in the middle of a main road.

Southend-based officers Special Sergeant Rhys Jones and PC David Grant were heading back to Southend police station at the end of a busy night shift which saw them finishing late.

They were driving back to the station when they spotted a woman walking towards them in the road.

The woman appeared dazed and upset and the pair feared for her safety as she headed towards oncoming traffic.

They quickly pulled over and rushed to encourage her to walk on the path.

They managed to encourage her to keep out of the road, but could not get her to engage in conversation with them

She attempted to walk off but collapsed after taking a few steps.

The officers went to her aid again and Rhys placed her in the recovery position.

She then started to vomit and Rhys tried to keep her conscious while David called an ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance, the pair kept talking to the woman, who was in and out of consciousness.

They reassured her that an ambulance was coming and that she was going to be OK.

An ambulance swiftly arrived and she was taken to Southend Hospital for treatment.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “We were called to Victoria Avenue at 6.43am to a reports of a woman, believed to be in her 20s, who had collapsed.

“An ambulance crew attended in three minutes to treat the patient who was taken to Southend Hospital for further care. Her condition is not believed to be life-threatening.”

Rhys, who volunteers his time with Essex Police as a Special Constable, said: “We were both glad we were late off our shift, leading us to find her.

"If it wasn’t us finding her in the middle of the road, it could have perhaps been a drunk or tired driver who may not have seen her.”