Attack victim honoured at ceremony

Ms Carmichael received a Courageous Citizen's Award

A 38-year-old Herefordshire woman who survived a brutal attack has been honoured at a police awards ceremony.

Clare Carmichael was beaten unconscious and left for dead at her home in Kinton, near Lentwardine, on 28 September 2001.

She spent six months in Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth II Hospital and had to learn how to speak, walk, read and write again.

The mother-of-two received a Courageous Citizen's Award from West Mercia Police for her "grit determination" in coping with the aftermath of the attack and her battle to resume her independence.

Media coverage

Pcs Dave Boote and Martin Broomfield received Chief Constable's Commendations at Thursday's ceremony for helping to save Ms Carmichael's life.

The two police officers were first at the scene of the attack and helped stem the flow of blood until paramedics arrived.

Ms Carmichael is still undergoing physiotherapy and is seeing a consultant, which is likely to continue for some time.

Chief Superintendent Guy Rutter wished Ms Carmichael well for the future.

"Your fantastic recovery says so much about the kind of person you are, your strength and sheer grit determination."

Despite widespread media coverage at the time and a reconstruction on the BBC's Crimewatch programme, nobody has ever been caught.

Although Ms Carmichael remembers very little about the attack, she has been able to say that her attacker was white and aged between 25 and 40.