A police officer used sign language to help stop a deaf woman from jumping from a flyover in Cambridgeshire.

Pc Katherine Hennessy, 28, used her basic knowledge of signing to translate for the woman, who was perched on a flyover by the A14 and A10 junction.

She had been threatening to throw herself on to the A14 on 18 February.

Pc Hennessy managed to convince the woman using sign language not to jump. She has now received a commendation from Cambridgeshire Police.

Book of sign language

When officers first arrived at the scene at 1900 GMT they initially thought the woman was just not responding.

Pc Hennessy then realised she was trying to reply using sign language.

"Fortunately I used to have a friend who was hearing impaired and I'd bought myself a book and taught myself basic sign language," she said.

"She was signalling that she wanted to jump and she was also praying.

"I just kept reassuring her, asking her to come back and saying we would do what we could to help."