'Saving a man's life changed mine as an officer'

Matt Kidd-Stanton was named Police Officer of the Year in the Stars of Suffolk in 2019 for his actions that night

A former police officer has told how his life changed after an incident where he saved a man.

In 2019 Matt Kidd-Stanton had been working for Suffolk Constabulary, a job that he loved.

One night he came across an abandoned van in the middle of the A14 carriageway on the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich and found a man about to jump.

Fortunately Mr Kidd-Stanton caught the man, but he never imagined the impact it would have on his life in the years to come.

Mr Kidd-Stanton said he "instantly" knew something was not right when he found the van.

A faint light coming from the bridge further down prompted him to investigate before he found the man with his legs hanging off the bridge.

"I'm shouting at him and literally just as I get to him, he jumps," he explained.

"Instantly I grab hold of him - it was just instinct."

The officer managed to take the man's weight and pull him to safety before a struggle ensued.

Colleagues who arrived helped Mr Kidd-Stanton ensure the man was safe before he headed back to the station to complete paperwork.

However he quickly noticed a pain in his neck and shoulders that he believed was a pulled muscle from saving the man, so he carried on.

Mr Kidd-Stanton wants others to know help is out there if they are struggling

The pain worsened over time and following various medical appointments, it was determined he had a prolapse in his neck with one of the discs having "popped out".

While he had surgery in November of that same year to correct the issue, it was not successful and he needed another.

Covid-19 had started to spread across the country and it was not clear when this surgery could take place and his mental health began to deteriorate.

In 2021, he suffered a mental breakdown and was "terrified" he would not be able to move past this point.

He decided to talk to his sergeant at work about how he was feeling.

"It took an awful lot to admit that I was in a very, very dark place," he said.

"But once I'd said it, it was out there. My life changed."

'Don't wait'

Suffolk Police were able to assist Mr Kidd-Stanton in finding help including counselling.

He was diagnosed with complex PTSD, depression and anxiety and made the tough decision to take medical retirement from the police force.

"When I left the job, I left my second family and I found that really hard," he said.

"It was something I didn't want to do but in the end I had to accept [it]."

Mr Kidd-Stanton now volunteers at Combat2Coffee in Ipswich which provides mental health support to Army veterans and blue-light workers.

He is keen to share his story to show others help is out there.

"Don't struggle alone," he said.

"When your colleagues start to notice you're not right, or your friends and family, go and get help.

"Don't wait until it's at a point where you're broken, get help first.

"There are many charities out there that will give you the help."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, BBC Action Line has links to organisations that can offer help and advice.

You can also go to bbc.co.uk/mentalwellbeing for more stories, information, inspiration and tips around mental wellbeing.