Bravery lauded at police awards

Pc Matt Kimbley tackled an armed man and was wounded

A police officer from Nottinghamshire who was attacked with a knife was among dozens of officers honoured with a bravery award.

Pc Matt Kimbley, 27, acted as a human shield to protect colleagues when they tackled a mentally-ill man.

He suffered a major stab wound to his arm and was off work for three months.

Pc Kimbley was one of several regional winners at the Police Federation awards ceremony in London on Tuesday.

'Massive honour'

A total of 50 policemen and women from 32 forces attended the awards, established eight years ago to pay tribute to police heroes.

West Mercia Constabulary's Pc Ian Fielding was voted 'top of the cops' to become the outright winner.

BRAVE POLICE

West Mercia Constabulary- Pc Ian Fielding

Nottinghamshire Constabulary - Pc Matt Kimbley

Dorset Constable Alan Lowe

Essex Police - Pcs Gail Lawmon and Danny Nice

London area - Inspector Philip Perry

Durham Constabulary - Pc Sue Robinson

Cumbria Constabulary - Sgt Alan Weightman

He earned the title for putting his own life in jeopardy to disarm a gunman who led him on a high speed car chase through Worcester and terrorised Christmas shoppers when he produced a gun in a pedestrianised area.

The officer tackled him to the ground and restrained him with help from two shoppers.

Pc Kimbley described his reaction after being attacked outside a hotel in Nottingham: "I was glad I was wearing a stab-proof vest at the time - God know what would have happened if I hadn't."

"The bloke who lunged at me was 6 ft 4 in and 18 stone, a really fearsome-looking guy, and he ripped open my arm with the knife" he said.

"The award is a massive honour and totally superb," Pc Kimbley said.

The winner for the South West was Dorset Constable Alan Lowe who, with help from police dog Max, located and helped save the life of a suicidal pensioner virtually submerged in a gully of water.

Max tracked the woman in pitch black terrain while Pc Lowe sank under the freezing water holding the woman above his head to prevent her drowning.

He carried her to a helicopter to be airlifted to hospital.

Pitch-black lake

The winners for the South East were Pcs Gail Lawmon and Danny Nice, from Essex Police, who saved two children from a fire.

The duo entered a burning house in a bid to save a six-year-old boy and his 22-month-old baby sister.

The London winner was Inspector Philip Perry for his off-duty heroism going to the aid of two brothers being attacked in an alleyway.

One had been repeatedly slashed.

SERIOUS WOUND

He ripped open my arm with a knife

Pc Matt Kimbley
Nottinghamshire Police

The winner for the North East was Pc Sue Robinson from Durham Constabulary who disarmed a drunken gunman who had been terrorising motorists and pedestrians.

In her attempt to protect the public, the mother-of-one successfully tackled the assailant who repeatedly levelled his weapon at her and threatened to 'blow her head off.'

The winner for the North West was Cumbria Constabulary's Alan Weightman.

The 44-year-old sergeant repeatedly risked his life diving into an icy lake, in the dark, to rescue an unconscious man who had got into trouble trying to rescue a drifting boat in Derwent Water.