7:00am Saturday 6th March 2010
By Lewis Cowen
Tales of heroism born of the moment were told at Devizes Corn Exchange last week.
Wiltshire Chief Constable Brian Moore presented a national bravery award from the Association of Chief Police Officers to Charlotte Manley, who helped detain a suspect at WH Smith in Devizes last January.
Miss Manley, 52, who works at Windsor Castle and was taking her elderly mother, who lives in the Devizes area, shopping on that day, said she did not think about the consequences when she aided Sergeant Liam Winstone and PC Adam Mullis.
She said: “You don’t think about it, you just react.”
The two police officers had been trying to detain 19-year-old Byronn Lamb, who had failed to turn up to a court hearing. Lamb had seen the officers coming and taken refuge in the store.
But he fought the two officers, biting PC Mullis and spitting blood at Sgt Winstone.
Miss Manley, who served 20 years in the Royal Navy, clung onto Plumb’s legs until police back-up arrived.
She said she was embarrassed to be singled out for the award. She said: “I shouldn’t have been picked out. There was another chap there who did at least as much as I did.
“I am accepting this on behalf of all those unsung heroes who do remarkable things without praise.”
Mr Moore also presented a commendation certificate to PC Richard Stephenson who, with PC Stephen Payne, attended an incident at a travellers’ camp near Marlborough in March 2008 which nearly cost him his life.
PC Stephenson, 38, from Perham Down, Tidworth, said: “We got a call to the site on a report that a male was causing a disturbance.
“When we got there we saw a caravan well alight. It was a frantic scene with everyone screaming and shouting. We were informed there were two young children, 11 months and two months, in a caravan close by so we went to see if they were all right.”
But then a gas canister in the blazing caravan exploded, showering the officers with debris and blowing PC Stephenson off his feet.
He said: “I wasn’t hurt, so I just got up and went on to see if the kids were OK. Luckily they were so it all worked out in the end.”
PC Payne was unable to be present to receive his commendation.
Alan Weston of the Chippenham-based Bobby Van received the Chief Constable’s certificate of merit.
And 18 police officers received the royal Long Service and Good Conduct medal from the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, John Bush.
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