Two police officers were honoured for saving lives in separate cases at a special event on Thursday. They were both off duty at the time.

“Police are on alert 24-7, working in the best possible way to serve the public,” the force chief Stelios Papatheodorou said.

The officers were presented with the Third Class Honour and Valour Medals, in a ceremony attended by Justice Minister Stephi Dracou and the police leadership.

Deputy sergeant Andreas Eleftheriou resuscitated a man on February 2 this year, while he was off duty and having dinner at a Larnaca restaurant. He saved the man’s life by following standard first aid procedures, with the man regaining consciousness.

In the other case, apecial officer Petros Andreou, who was also off duty, saved a man who was threatening to jump from the window of a second floor office in Nicosia.

The officer entered the adjacent office, earned the man’s trust in cooperation with police negotiators, and grabbed hold of his hand, managing to immobilise him.

The justice minister congratulated the officers on their fast reactions and altruism, which she said had done everyone proud.

“‘You have honoured the force, doing your bit to build a more human face and much-needed stable relations of trust and respect between police and society,” Dracou said.

“Empathy and the collective interest are at the front line,” said chief Papatheodorou.