Local hero of the year

Annette Sanders of Chickerell Road, Weymouth was walking her dog along Weymouth harbour in the early hours when she saw a man fall into the sea and without hesitation went headfirst in to rescue him.

Annette, 43, scooped the title which was sponsored by Sirius Business Services.

She said: "I chucked myself into the harbour and pulled out a guy who had fallen in, basically.

"He was a big man and I manhandled him out of the water by grabbing his belt. I kept him awake by talking - he said he had just had a baby boy, and I shouted my head off to get help and someone called an ambulance.

"He was badly injured with a gash to his head, a broken arm and his leg needed 12-stitches.

"Without a doubt he would have died if I hadn't been there. But considering the other nominees as well - they deserved it as much as I did."

Other nominees included six Weymouth friends who spotted a house fire while walking home after a night out and evacuated residents, and paperboy Adam Bill who helped an elderly neighbour who he found suffering from a fall on his round.

Ms Sanders added: "Although you don't think about it at the time, it's really nice to know that apart from the police and ambulance and that, local people can get awards as well.

"It's been a brilliant evening."