Nine police officers nominated for bravery awards

PCs Harriet Murray and Toby Brown from South Yorkshire Police are up for an award for catching a rapist

Officers from across Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire have been nominated for bravery awards.

Nine men and women were nominated for carrying out "extraordinary acts of courage" while on duty, the Police Federation said ahead of the ceremony.

One incident saw a woman saved from an oncoming train, while elsewhere a violent rapist was captured.

The nominated officers are from West, South and North Yorkshire Police, as well as the Humberside force.

Among those nominated are PCs Toby Brown and Harriet Murray from South Yorkshire Police, who captured a rapist from the victim's roof moments after she was attacked.

PC Brown was almost punched unconscious during the incident, which took place in February 2022.

The "tenacious" pair's quick thinking resulted in the man being jailed for 21 years and South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said: "These two officers are shining examples of providing the highest standards of public service."

North Yorkshire Police's PCSO Nichola Shearing and PC Joshua Snaith are among the nominees for preventing a suicide attempt

PCSO Nichola Shearing and PC Joshua Snaith, from North Yorkshire Police, have been commended for their "exceptional care and compassion" when helping a distressed woman they believed was about to jump off a railway bridge in Harrogate last year.

PCSO Shearing held the woman with "all her strength" while PC Snaith climbed up on the ledge and the pair managed to move the woman to safety.

They are an "absolute credit" to the force, their superiors said.

From West Yorkshire, off-duty PC Aynsley Ward was at a restaurant with her family in April 2022 when she confronted two knife-wielding men who were on their way to an organised street brawl in Shipley.

Even though she was not wearing any protective gear, PC Ward managed to get the knives from both men and keep the situation under control until backup arrived.

Chief Constable John Robins of West Yorkshire Police said: "Her actions were nothing short of heroic and truly commendable.

Meanwhile, a team of officers from Humberside Police have been nominated for saving a man who was trying to slash his own throat.

PC Mia Bayar is one of a team from Humberside Police who saved a man from fatally cutting himself

PCs Ross McClean, Mia Bayar, Paula West and Debbie Tipper were called to the home of the man, who was having a mental health crisis.

Humberside Police Federation Chair Lee Sims said: "These officers were faced with an unexpectedly harrowing situation and, without fear for their own safety, they saved this man's life."

The annual ceremony will take place in London and 90 officers from 36 police forces across England and Wales are up for bravery awards, according to the Police Federation of England and Wales.