Police officers who made front pages across the world catching a woman jumping out of a burning building during the Croydon riots have been commended.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe praised the seven officers as part of a special ceremony to recognise officers’ bravery during the London disorder.

The seven officers had initially been deployed to Church Street, Croydon, when a member of the public told them that there were people in a burning building.

They followed the man to the building where they went to the door of a flat and carried family members out to safety, using their shields to protect them from the heat of the flames.

When they returned to the building they were alerted to a woman at the window of a flat.

The officers used fabric and cushions to cover the floor and then encouraged the woman to lower herself before dropping towards their waiting arms.

The photo of the incident became the iconic image of the August riots.

The officers used fire extinguishers to tackle small fires and helped members of the public carrying buckets of water to put out fires.

When they left the burning building they went to a nearby shop where they arrested six people for looting.