A police officer from Golders Green who single-handedly disarmed a bellowing gunman was voted the bravest officer in London at an awards ceremony last week.

Police Constable Glen Hesketh, 34, from Hemel Hempstead, won the accolade at the annual Police Bravery Awards at The Dorchester on Tuesday last week, where he was presented with his honour by Home Secretary David Blunkett.

In February last year, PC Hesketh was off-duty and driving along The Avenue, Bushey, collecting his two daughters from school, when he saw a man pull a handgun from the waistband of his trousers and start shouting.

The man pointed the gun at passing cars and screamed he was going to shoot someone.

Seeing a passing patrol car, PC Hesketh knew if he made a big enough disturbance they would come to help him, so he tackled the man from behind and kicked the gun away before the other officers came to his assistance.

PC Hesketh, who was among eight regional winners at the ceremony, said: "I don't feel like the bravest officer in London.

"Other officers are doing brave things every day and they don't get the same recognition. I just acted instinctively because I knew something was wrong, but the award is an honour and means more to me because it was my colleagues who nominated me."

July 10, 2002 17:30