British aid workers who risked their lives to save thousands of Ebola victims and emergency medics who scaled a rollercoaster to save the victims of the Alton Towers crash have been honoured for their actions.

They are among the winners of this year's Pride of Britain awards, which recognise courage, selflessness and achievement against the odds.

More than 2,000 British healthcare workers volunteered to go on the front line to fight Ebola in west Africa where more than 11,000 people have died from the virus.

The focus has been on Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia where 28,000 people have been struck down by Ebola since February last year.

The special recognition award for the British Ebola Aid Effort recognises that the dedication and care of British support workers helped to contain the outbreak and reduce the number of deaths.

It notes that doctors, nurses and support staff willingly went to the worst-affected areas to set up treatment centres even though they risked catching Ebola as they lived and worked alongside victims.

British nurses Will Pooley, 30, of Suffolk, and Pauline Cafferkey, 37, of Glasgow, and British Army medic Corporal Anna Cross, 25, of Cambridge, have all recovered after being treated for the contagious disease.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The Ebola outbreak was one of the most devastating epidemics of our generation, but we managed to stop its spread thanks to the hard work of British people who travelled to west Africa."

Army doctor Major David Cooper, 34, and aircrew paramedic Tom Waters, 27, were on duty with Midlands Air Ambulance when they were called to Alton Towers following the crash on the Smiler ride on June 2.

Dr Ben Clark, 40, a volunteer with North Staffordshire BASICS emergency doctors, was also part of the emergency response team.

Despite having limited rope training, they ignored health and safety rules to climb the structure to save the lives of the trapped victims.

All three said they did not think twice about risking their own lives - especially when they realised how serious the situation was for Leah Washington, 18, who had suffered a life-threatening bleed from a severed artery.

Their efforts included a partial amputation at a height of 35ft-40ft and carrying out a life-saving blood transfusion while she was still trapped.

Mr Waters said "the need outweighed the risk" while Mr Cooper added: "We just did what we needed to do."

The men spent four precarious hours tending to the most seriously injured, and did not come down from the rollercoaster until the victims were freed.

Former England football captain David Beckham is among a host of famous faces set to attend the ceremony in central London, along with the Prince of Wales, Sir Bruce Forsyth and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.

A cast of famous faces are set to attend the ceremony for the annual Pride of Britain awards in central London.

The winners are:

:: Teenager of Courage - Sohana Collins

Sohana suffers from a rare condition that makes her skin so fragile her parents cannot even hug her, but the 13-year-old has helped raise £3.5 million since 2011 to fund research and a cure.

:: Emergency Services - Major David Cooper, Ben Clark and Tom Waters

The three medics ignored health and safety rules to climb the Smiler ride at Alton Towers to save the lives of those trapped after a crash.

:: Lidl Young Fundraiser of the Year - Amelia Gebruers

Through cake sales, a family fun day and a charity raffle in which she persuaded local businesses in Solihull to donate, the 10 year-old has helped raise more than £20,000 for charity after her father and brother were diagnosed with serious illnesses.

She has given the money to charities that helped her family - Birmingham Children's Hospital, Butterfly AVM, the Brain Tumour Charity and Marie Curie.

:: Special Recognition - The British Ebola Aid Effort

The award recognises that the dedication and care of British medical support workers who helped to contain the Ebola outbreak in west Africa and reduce the number of deaths.

:: Special Recognition - Jess Evans and Mike Houlston

Having been told that their unborn son had a rare birth defect and would die within days of arrival, the couple decided to donate his organs. This made Teddy, who survived for just 100 minutes, Britain's youngest organ donor. He was born at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff in April 2014.

:: Child of Courage - Bailey Matthews

With dogged determination, and despite falling over twice, eight-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer Bailey reminded the world of the true meaning of sport as he pushed himself to the limit to finish a triathlon. The youngster from Doncaster completed the 100-metre swim, 4km bike ride and 1.3km run that makes up the children's race of the Castle Howard Triathlon in North Yorkshire in July.

:: Teacher of the Year - Elaine Wyllie

The primary school head teacher introduced a daily mile scheme in which pupils run or walk a mile every day. It has helped to cut obesity at her school in Stirling.

:: Prince's Trust Achiever of the Year - Duane Jackson

From a turbulent upbringing in which he he lived in five different children's homes, had been expelled from school twice by the age of 15, and left education at 19 without qualifications - Mr Jackson has managed to turn his life around. Despite also getting a conviction for drug smuggling when he hit rock bottom, east London-born Mr Jackson, now 36, has become an entrepreneur and mentors troubled young people.

:: Special Recognition - Walking With The Wounded

The organisation has raised more than £10 million and supported over 2,500 veterans while also giving hope and inspiration to men and women who risked their lives for their country.

:: Special Recognition - Joanne and Dan Thompson

The Stockport couple spearheaded a successful campaign for better first aid training in nurseries after their nine-month-old daughter Millie choked to death.

:: Outstanding Bravery - Dee Patel

He risked his life to save others by preventing a potentially fatal high-speed motorway pile-up when a driver lost consciousness at the wheel. Mr Patel, a father-of-two from East Farleigh in Kent, helped to bring the runaway car - travelling at 70mph in rush hour traffic on the M25 - back under control.

:: Good Morning Britain Local Hero - Alice Burke

She was the driving force behind a campaign against gangs, muggers and prostitutes on her estate in Hackney, east London. Despite threats and intimidation, Ms Burke, a 78-year-old great-grandmother and former auxiliary nurse, helped set up a residents' association in 1993.

:: Child of Courage - Joshua Williamson

The Leicester youngster, then aged 11, stayed calm despite fearing that his father Tommy was dead when he found him slumped on his bedroom floor last year.

He desperately pumped his father's chest, keeping him alive until paramedics arrived to administer a shock from a defibrillator and use a chest compressor to get his heart going again.

:: Outstanding Bravery - Peter Fuller

The 44-year-old former para put his life on the line when he stopped a crazed man with a machete from murdering a shopper during a racist attack in a supermarket in Mold, North Wales, in January.

:: Special Recognition - Fred and Vivienne Morgan

The retired couple, aged 94 and 72 respectively, were so appalled by a newspaper story of a schoolgirl who committed suicide that they turned their home in Warwick into a school for bullied youngsters.

:: ITV Fundraiser - To be announced at the event.