Bravery awards for school intruder police officers

Seven police officers who tackled a knifeman in a school while students hid under their desks have been given bravery awards.

In March 2023, an intruder entered St Joseph's Catholic High School in Slough, Berkshire, and claimed to have a gun, putting the school into lockdown for two hours.

PC Patrick Rumbol, who attended, said the incident "happened very quickly" and he did not appreciate the severity of the situation until he came out the school afterwards and saw all the parents waiting outside.

He will attend the 2025 Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards with is colleagues on 1 May.

The other six officers, Sgt Andy Grant, PC Prathaban Puvindran, PC Abbie Chambers, PC Michael Allington, DC Heather Bainbridge and PC Matthew Aldridge will also be at the event.

The overall winners will travel to London for the National Police Federation Bravery Awards in July.

PC Rumbol said 27 March 2023 was just a normal day until they got the call saying there was an intruder in a school with a possible firearm.

"It's the sort of thing that you don't really hear happening in this country," he said.

"It was a bit of a jolt."

On the way there, it was decided armed officers were not needed - meaning the responsibility fell to PC Rumbol, as the only one with a taser.

But once the officers were led to where the intruder was being stalled by teachers, they realised there was not enough space to use a taser.

"He was standing there with his hand in a bag... I thought 'we can't really waste time firing the taser, waiting the five seconds and realising it's not working'," said PC Rumbol.

"So I just holstered the taser and we grabbed him."

St Joseph's Catholic School was in lockdown for two hours

The officers tackled the man to the ground, at which point a knife fell out of his waistband, but no gun was found.

"When we came out and saw all the family members who were obviously terrified for their children... I realised it was a bit more significant than it had seemed at first," said PC Rumbol.

"It all happened very quickly."

Matthew Lennox from Drayton, West London, was charged in connection with the incident, but was deemed unfit to plea or stand trial and was detained in a secure psychiatric hospital.

Thames Valley Police Federation Chair Aileen O'Connor said the officers "acted quickly and professionally in a very volatile situation".

"Thankfully we don't hear of incidents such as these very often in our country but we all know how catastrophic they can be," she said.

"This incredible team of officers made split-second decisions that succeeded in containing the threat and protecting pupils and staff."