AN Ealing policeman has been honoured for helping to save a suicidal woman's life.

PC Edward McDonagh was presented with a Royal Humane Society certificate by commissioner Sir Ian Blair at New Scotland Yard.

PC McDonagh and PC Paul Blakey prevented the woman from jumping from a seventh storey scaffolding platform in Hounslow.

The incident happened in July last year when PC McDonagh was travelling to work at Ealing police station.

He saw the woman standing on the outer edge of the platform .

He called his colleague PC Blakey whom he had seen ahead of him.

While he waited, PC McDonagh saw the woman climb over a guardrail and sit on the scaffolding boards with her legs hanging over the edge.

PC Blakey arrived with another officer.

They called the emergency services and tried to persuade the woman not to jump.

They didn't get any response, but she then climbed back over the rail.

She was crying hysterically so PCs McDonagh and Blakey climbed up the scaffolding to talk to her.

PC Blakey tried to persuade her to hold on but she told them that nobody could help her and she wanted to die and was going to jump.

PC McDonagh realised that they would have to grab the woman so they edged towards her.

She then raised her hands and began to lean backwards.

The officers, without any thought for their own safety, lunged forward and each grabbed an arm and pulled her to safety.

The woman was extremely distressed and was screaming, and struggling to get free.

The officers handcuffed her for her own safety until she could be got down from the scaffolding and taken to hospital.