'Life on the line' postal worker honoured at gala

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A CARRICK man has been presented with an award for courage at a gala event in London.
Alex Shortt, who is employed at Northern Ireland Mail Centre, Mallusk, was one of three postal workers from the province attending the 1st Class People Awards, where the national winners were also announced.

Alex put his life on the line to save an elderly motorist trapped and injured in an overturned vehicle as he drove to work early one winter morning. Weather conditions were treacherous on the dark country road when he came upon the accident. He immediately took charge, giving assistance to the injured person and helped prevent the danger of further accidents occurring at the scene, as he waited for the emergency services to arrive.

Royal Mail was contacted by thousands of customers who nominated their postman or woman as an unsung hero in these popular annual awards.

TV presenter Christine Bleakley, who made the presentations, said: "In the UK our postmen and women are a group of very remarkable people who contribute so much, with acts of kindness, a huge amount of fundraising, and a commitment to volunteering which makes such a difference to the local communities where they live and work."

Royal Mail Managing Director Mark Higson added: "Because our people make daily deliveries to all 28 million addresses in the UK they will often be the first to discover an accident, fire, or someone taken ill, and are quick to respond."