A POLICEMAN has been hailed a ‘hero’ after he saved a drunk teenage girl who was seconds away from being struck by a train.

PC John Fisher was on patrol when he heard screaming coming from the level crossing in Hufling Lane, Burnley Wood.

He rushed to the crossing, near Moseley Road, with colleague PCSO Chris Jackson where they found three 15-year-old girls, who were all ‘heavily’ under the influence of alcohol.

PC Fisher, community beat manager for Trinity ward, had to forcibly pull the girl over the barrier after she refused to move off the railway lines when a train was just metres away.

But the modest officer, who lives in Hyndburn, refused to take all the plaudits, saying his actions were ‘just one of those things’.

The former soldier, who served in the Royal Signals Regiment for 22 years, said: “The barrier come down and the lights were flashing and everything, but the girls were still on the crossing.

“The signal box lowered the barrier and two of them climbed over, but the other one stayed stood on the railway lines in front of the oncoming train. At that stage it was about 100 metres away and approaching fast, but it was braking hard and sounding its horn. “The signal box raised the barrier to let her out one of her friends tried to push her out of the way, but she climbed back over.

“I ended up pulling her over the barrier and the train missed her by metres – it was pretty scary stuff.”

PC Fisher, 53, suffered a broken finger as he pulled the girl over the barrier. But in true hero-style he turned in for his next shift on the beat just days later. Chief Superintendent Clive Tattum hailed the officer’s conduct. He said: “PC Fisher acted with tremendous bravery in help-ing to rescue this young girl from peril. He showed enor-mous courage and will be a very reluctant hero I know, but the fact is, his actions probably saved this young girl’s life and he deserves to be applauded.”

But the self-effacing PC Fisher said: “It was just one of those things.”

Network Rail spokesman Keith Lumley said the 7.04pm Blackpool North from York train almost hit the girl last Friday. He said: “It was a very stupid and foolhardy thing for the girl to do and she is very lucky no to have been killed.”

Two girls were spoken to by police about the dangers of venturing on to railway lines. The rescued girl was arrested and given a caution for being drunk and dis-orderly and railway offences.