AN off-duty police officer courageously saved his neighbours from their burning house, it has been revealed.

PC Taylor Nash was at home in Clacton when he heard windows smashing and saw his neighbours’ house was on fire.

He knew a family of three lived at the house, including a bed-bound man who suffered from motor neurone disease.

PC Nash ran to the house and could see the man near the back door, with his wife and daughter trying to get him out.

He entered the burning building and told the wife and daughter to get themselves to safety.

PC Nash grabbed the man and, along with an off-duty nurse who asked not to be named, got him into the back garden.

They were still in danger, as the garden was completely enclosed and windows were exploding from the heat, showering them with broken glass.

PC Nash ripped down a fence and he and the neighbour carried the man to safety before the fire service arrived and brought the blaze under control.

PC Nash said: “I’d literally just got into bed and I heard a window smash outside.

“The top floor the windows were blown out and there was fire pouring out the top.

“He was quite a heavy man, to lift him out of the house.

“Whilst I was doing this, as I went through the garden, all of the windows on the top floor started blowing out. We were getting covered in shattered glass.

“The mum and the daughter decided to run back into the house to collect belongings - some of the gentleman’s medication and things that were irreplaceable.

“I had to run back into the house. At this point I showed them my warrant card just so I could get them out.”

PC Nash will be handed an award for his actions during the incident, which happened on May 8, 2020, at the Essex Police Federation Bravery Awards later this month.

Essex Police Federation chairman Laura Heggie said: “Taylor and his neighbour are heroes. I commend them for their extreme bravery, putting themselves in danger to save this family in distress.”