Police officer hailed a hero

A policeman has pulled an unconscious woman from her burning house, smashing windows to get air as he went and returning several times after smoke forced him out.
Te Puke Constable Kurt Waugh, 30, has been hailed a hero by his bosses.
However Mr Waugh has remained modest about the feat, declining to pose for a photo and responding to calls for an interview with a single line: "I was just doing my job".
Mr Waugh responded to a callout at a rural home in No. 1 Rd, Te Puke about 10.30pm on Monday.
Police had received a call from relatives of a woman at the address who were worried about her safety.
Western Bay of Plenty Police Acting Area Commander Karl Wright-St Clair said Mr Waugh arrived to find the two-storey home on fire and filled with smoke.
Taking the fire extinguisher from his patrol car, the former Papamoa constable attempted to put out the fire.
When it wasn't enough he used a garden hose to try and douse the flames.
"Mr Waugh then forced his way into the house to search for any occupants. Due to the heavy smoke, he was forced to exit and re-enter the house several times to catch his breath," Mr Wright-St Clair said.
"After clearing the ground floor, Mr Waugh then made his way to the first floor, smashing a number of windows in an effort to clear the smoke before continuing his search."
He eventually found the woman, who was unresponsive and appeared to be unconscious in the master bedroom of the house.
He picked her up and carried her outside where she received medical treatment. Mr Wright-St Clair said the outcome could have been different, had it not been for the actions of Mr Waugh.
"Every day, police officers from around New Zealand attend calls for service where they go above and beyond the call of duty. This is one of those cases.
"Without fail, the police serving the Western Bay of Plenty are passionate about what they do. They work extremely long hours to support their local communities, and to prevent crime and crash in the area."
Head of Te Puke police station Mark Holmes said Mr Waugh was a hard-working officer.
"He's very movtivated and dedicated and he's working well within the Te Puke community and that's probably reflected in his immediate response to this incident on Monday night.
"He's a really good, likeable guy and a very good policeman."
Mr Waugh was back on duty at Te Puke Station yesterday afternoon however a police spokesperson said he was "really very adamant" he did not want to talk to media.
Mr Wright-St Clair said a police investigation to determine the cause of the fire was underway.
The Fire Service is also investigating.