New Year Honours 2019: Terror attack police and medics honoured

2017 - which saw attacks at Westminster, London Bridge, Manchester Arena and Finsbury Park mosque - was the most challenging year for the police and security services for decades

NHS staff and police officers have been recognised in the New Year Honours list for their work following the 2017 terror attacks.

Dr Malik Ramadhan, who ran an A&E department after the London Bridge attack, is one of 43 people recognised for responding to terror incidents.

A Met Police detective is made an OBE for assisting the victims.

The UK was hit by several attacks last year, including the Westminster Bridge attack and Manchester Arena bombing.

Dr Ramadhan had already finished his shift at the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel, London, on the night of 3 June 2017.

After three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and launched a knife attack, he returned to run the A&E department throughout the night.

• Palin, Twiggy and Southgate among honours

He has now been made an OBE for services to healthcare.

'Flabbergasted'

Acting Detective Sergeant Zac Idun from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, who led the family liaison response for victims following the Westminster and London Bridge attacks told BBC News he was "flabbergasted" when he found out he had been nominated for an OBE.

"The letter dropped through my letter box, and I was at home and opened it," he said.

"I chased after the postman and said: 'Look, you put this through my door, who's put you up to this?'"

Zac Idun was described as having shaped family liaison "both nationally and internationally"

Act Det Sgt Idun is a leading expert in family liaison and deployed officers to the suspects' families as well as those of the victims.

Meanwhile, the head of the family liaison team at Greater Manchester Police, Detective Chief Inspector Teresa Lam, has been recognised with a British Empire Medal for her work following the bombing of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May.

"Receiving this recognition is a significant moment in my personal and professional life," she said. "However, I will never forget those who have suffered and to whom I remain dedicated to continue to support."

She is one of four officers and staff at GMP who have been honoured. They include a BEM for Special Sergeant Jared Simpson who was one of the first GMP officers on the scene of the arena attack, and a Queen's Police Medal for Chief Inspector Dale Sexton.

Robert Gallagher, who managed GMP's forensic response to the attack including victim identification, is appointed an MBE.

Other people made an OBE are:

• Colin Kelsey - the person who led the NHS response to the Manchester attack

• Paul Woodrow, the London Ambulance Service's operations director for his role in organising care for victims of the London terror attacks as well as the Grenfell Tower fire

• Peter Boorman from NHS England who helped in the wake of the Westminster and London Bridge attacks, Grenfell Tower disaster, Wannacry cyber-attack on the health service and the Croydon tram crash in 2016

• Theatre nurse Joy Ongcachuy at St Barts Hospital for services to healthcare for her role in dealing with the attacks

• Met Police Detective Superintendent Mark Gower for services to policing, after leading the response to the attack at a mosque in Finsbury Park on 19 June and led the investigation to find the Parsons Green bomber

• Cambridge physicist Claire Summers, who leads the Met's Technical Innovation and Development Environment team, worked on the London Bridge, Westminster and Finsbury Park terror attacks

Other members of the Met Police who were honoured include:

• PC Andy Dunmore, PC John Kenealy, PC Stephen Marsh, PC Mary Mayes, PC Richard Moore and PC Jerry Pearce received British Empire Medals for their actions during the Westminster attack

• PC Stewart Henderson and PC Liam Jones received BEMs for their response during the London Bridge attack

• PC Nick Carlisle, who was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished services to policing during the Westminster attack

• PC Tim Andrews, PC Sam Balfour, Lian Rae and Bartosz Tchorzewski who were awarded the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished services to policing during the London Bridge attack

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick called it a "truly exceptional" New Year Honours list for the force, adding she was "very proud".

Earlier this year, heroes of the London Bridge terror attack - including two people who died - were recognised for their bravery in this year's Civilian Gallantry List.

The police officer killed in the Westminster attack, PC Keith Palmer, was posthumously awarded the George Medal for bravery in the 2017 Birthday Honours list and earlier this year was recognised at in the Met Excellence Awards..

The honours system

Commonly awarded ranks:

• Companion of honour - Limited to 65 people. Recipients wear the initials CH after their name

• Knight or Dame

• CBE - Commander of the Order of the British Empire

• OBE - Officer of the Order of the British Empire

• MBE - Member of the Order of the British Empire

• BEM - British Empire Medal

• Guide to the honours