A NEWLY qualified police officer who helped with two tragic accidents near Salisbury was awarded two Chief Constable’s Commendation awards for his courage and professionalism.

PC Matt Bennett, who is now part of the Tri Force, received his first award for the way he handled a crash on the A338 at Charlton All Saints, where motorcyclist Kenneth Spreadbury, 63, and from Fordingbridge, collided with car on Good Friday.

The 30-year-old rushed to the aid of the motorcyclist who was losing a lot of blood and helped emergency services treat him. He later died in surgery.

“I was in the last couple of weeks of my two-year probationary period and I was alerted to an RTC in Salisbury so I started making my way down,” he said.

“As I made my way to the scene there were military personnel ripping shirts up trying to pack the wound of the driver.

“You just go into training. You have got to do something – your priority is to try and save lives and try to keep other people safe. I had to go for it – you as a police officer are in a position to help and it is a privilege to be in that position.”

PC Bennett, who previously worked as a special constable, was also honoured with a second commendation for his work at a light plane crash near Dinton alongside his colleague PC Jonathan Brunt.

Working with fire crews and Boscombe Down air traffic control, PC Bennet helped locate the crash and crew on July 8 and despite the risk of fire and the strong smell of aviation fuel, attempted to resuscitate the pilot.

He was also commended by aircraft investigators for taking detailed photographs of the site and walking them through the scene upon their arrival.

“Before they started cutting the co-pilot out, I started taking photos of anything that could change,” he said. “You are taught to think outside the box and it is all about what could be useful to others. They give you a box of tools and it is up to you how you use them.”

The familiar face of PC Brunt, who later arrived at the scene, provided a relief for PC Bennett, who was the only officer there for some time.

PC Brunt assisted the crews on site, set up cordons and escorted the press from the area and was commended for his outstanding teamwork.