Bravery awards for Shrewsbury horror crash police officers
Four police officers who risked their lives at the scene of a four-car crash in Shropshire which claimed the lives of two people have been presented with national awards for bravery.
Constable Dave Williams and Sergeants Stuart Wells, Andy Jackson and Darren Heyes battled through smoke and flames to rescue two people trapped in a burning car following the crash on the A49 in Bayston Hill in September last year.
The four men were honoured at the Police Bravery Awards in London yesterday following a special lunch at Downing Street hosted by Home Secretary Theresa May.
Constable Williams and Sergeant Wells desperately tried to free a trapped driver and passenger from the back of a car by smashing the passenger window.
Sergeant Jackson then arrived and focused on the driver while his colleagues tried to rescue the passenger. Sergeant Heyes, tried to separate the cars with a tow rope to stop the flames spreading.
Chairman of the Police Federation Paul McKeever, paid tribute to the officers, saying more lives would have been lost had it not been for their actions.
Also honoured last night was Constable Alex Stypulkowski, who was stabbed repeatedly with a screwdriver as he struggled with an attacker who told him: "You're going to die." Receiving the accolade, he said the award was 'an absolute honour'.
Other winners included Constable Aaron Horsfall from West Yorkshire, who rescued three people from a house fire single-handedly, and Sergeant Ashley Waterhouse and Constable Adam James Hovells from Norfolk who plunged themselves into the sea in freezing conditions to save a suicidal man.
During the ceremony, tributes were paid to Constables Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes who were shot after attending what appeared to be a routine burglary call in Hattersley, Greater Manchester last month.
Off-duty Constable Ian Dibell from Essex Police, who lost his life when he was gunned down as he went to help a neighbour who was being attacked, was also remembered.
