CHRISTINE James chalks up 20 years in the ambulance service this year - and the milestone may be marked with an award from her bosses.

The 41-year-old paramedic, from Blaina, has scooped three community awards since making headlines last June by helping rescue three people from a burning building in Tredegar.

Modest Christine finds the attention "embarrassing", though does not hesitate to take centre stage when lives are at risk.

Now Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust bosses are considering recognising her courage in some form, though the trust does not currently have its own awards system.

Weeks after the Tredegar rescue, she treated Ebbw Vale man Bryn Watkins after he was shot by police following a stand-off at his home.

"I was on stand-by, keeping well away, hiding behind a wall," she said.

"All of a sudden there was a loud bang and the police had shot him.

"He had a huge hole in his stomach and I had to give him morphine." He was later jailed for two years for making threats to kill and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

More recently came the heart attack drama where she had to administer a drug for the first time to a critically ill cardiac patient.

Trust chief Alan Murray said: "She's very proud of her job and the service, and we're very proud of her," he said.

Christine however, cannot understand the fuss: "It's getting a bit embarrassing because so many people come up to me and say "you're the one who won that award aren't you?"