Two PCs who saved a man's life with a phone top-up card have been honoured.

They held the plastic card over a knife wound in the 24-year-old victim's back for 50 minutes to stem the bleeding until paramedics arrived.

PC Sharon Gaffney, 41, and PC Gary Thompson, 38 - who has himself been the victim of a knife attack - received certificates of merit in a ceremony at Brighton police station on Friday.

The officers found the victim just after midnight at the junction of Albion Street and Richmond Parade, Brighton, on the night of England's defeat by Portugal in June's Euro 2004 championships.

They used an England flag to wipe blood from his back and found a 1in knife wound.

PC Gaffney said: "I remembered the idea of using a credit or phone card from a first aid course I took.

"I had to apply a lot of pressure and kept changing hands. He was losing oxygen to the brain and started struggling.

"Gary helped restrain him, kept the crowd back and protected me.

"I couldn't have done it without him."

PC Thompson was seriously injured in 2001 when he was attacked with a knife as he investigated a disturbance at a flat in Southwick.

He was stabbed twice in the back.

His attacker was later jailed for life for attempted murder. PC Thompson was honoured for bravery.

East Sussex High Sheriff Julian Avery presented 22 awards to officers at the ceremony.

Assistant Chief Constable Tony Toynton and Brighton and Hove's police commander, Chief Superintendent Paul Curtis, attended the awards.

Inspector Tony McCarthy and PCs Laurie Wickens and Paul Bedford were honoured for a car pursuit that resulted in the arrest of a disqualified driver who was later jailed for four-and-a-half years.