TWO police officers who battled to save a suicidal man have won a Royal Humane Society award.

PC Chris Garbutt and PC Robert Spalding broke into the man’s house in Alne, near Easingwold after his ex-partner reported to police that he had barricaded himself in a house following an argument.

The officers were unable to save the man's life, but their actions allowed his family to see him alive a final time before he died.

It also meant that one of the man's organs was in a good enough condition to go to his mother, who was awaiting a donor.

The two officers have been awarded Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificates for their actions and also won personal praise from society secretary Dick Wilkinson.

"Sadly the man only survived for 24 hours, but it was long enough his family to see him before he died and say their last goodbyes," he said.

"The brave actions and expert first aid of these two officers really did make a difference, even if, ultimately, the man could not be saved. They richly deserve these awards."

The officers found him hanging from the loft, cut him down and began to administer cardiac pulmonary resuscitation for about 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived, and the man was taken to hospital.