Firefighters who rescued six people from the wreckage of a car have been given bravery awards.

Nine firefighters have been awarded Station Commander's Letters of Apprec-iation, for acts carried out beyond the call of duty.

The passengers involved in the crash had to be cut free from the wreckage of a Suzuki Swift which had ploughed through railings and into a wall at high speed in Great Horton last September.

The car rolled on to its side and the firefighters had to cut the roof off to free the trapped passengers who were lying on top of each other in the wreckage.

The driver, 21-year-old John Wilford, died at the scene and two other passengers had to be taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary with serious injuries.

One of the injured passengers, 18-year-old Vicky Storton, daughter of Bradford Park Avenue Football Club manager Trevor, had three emergency operations at Bradford Royal Infirmary on injuries including broken ribs, a fractured leg and a broken pelvis. She has now recovered.

Her friend Jessica Bowers, who broke her neck, is also making a full recovery.

Station Officer Bob Yorke and firefighters Michael Hayward, Brian Horsley, Michael Mawson and John Carradice, all of Odsal fire station, and Leading Fire-fighter Paul Hamer and firefighters Mark Shutt, Ian McKelvie and Andrew Horsley, at Bradford fire station, received the award. Odsal Station Commander Allan Jones said: "There is no doubt that their quick and decisive action, professionalism, hard work and dedication to the task in hand helped in preventing a worse conclusion to the incident.

"It was a serious incident and they did a tremendous job.

"They gave that little bit extra and deserve these awards."

A Police Complaints' Authority inquiry was launched into the crash which occurred when the Suzuki was being followed by police.

A PCA spokesman today said that its inquiry has now been completed and the findings would be revealed at an inquest into Mr Wilford's death for which a date has still to be fixed.