A lot can go wrong in 30 seconds, but thanks to the bravery and quick thinking of hospital security staff and two of our police officers, a dangerous situation was averted without anyone coming to harm.

On 4 April 2022, PC Amy Hanley and PC Matt Dodd were at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester for an unrelated matter when they became aware of a man wielding a knife near the A&E department.

Security staff were already attempting to contain the situation, engaging with the man and trying to calm him, but he continued making threats.

Recognising the significant risk to hospital staff and the public, PC Hanley and PC Dodd were able to quickly detain the suspect and safely disarm him.

PC Dodd said: “We didn’t have time to think about what we may be walking into, we had to rely on our own intuition and training to bring this matter to a safe conclusion, which thankfully we did.”

The two officers were recognised by the Police Federation, who nominated them for a National Police Bravery Award.

Speaking ahead of the award ceremony in London, PC Hanley said: “I guess we forget that we do it day in, day out. But I hear stories all the time of colleagues doing really amazing things, so it’s nice that we’re going to get to see so many people recognised.”

While PCs Hanley and Dodd weren’t named as the overall winners at the ceremony last night, they are still winners in our eyes.

We are incredibly proud of them and their bravery, which encapsulates what policing is all about – keeping our communities safe.