A brave police officer deliberately crashed his car into a drug dealer who had U-turned on the M4 to avoid a police roadblock.
The dealer would have been able to escape and posed a danger to other motorists, but PC Luke Hobbs bravely put himself in harm's way to stop that from happening.
This was one of several tales of bravery honoured at the Wiltshire Police Awards, which highlighted exceptional examples of top work from the force's frontline staff.
In December 2021, PC Luke Hobbs worked with roads policing unit colleagues and firearms officers to plan how to catch a car that they believed would be bringing illegal substances into Wiltshire.
PC Hobbs spotted the car on the M4 and stopped it, but after briefly pulling over and coming to a stop, the driver then sped off.
The speeding suspect approached a rolling roadblock, so the dangerous motorist turned around and headed the wrong way along the busy carriageway back towards Luke.
With little time to think about his next course of action, PC Hobbs drove his police vehicle directly into the other driver's path.
The crash stopped the suspect and the driver was then arrested for multiple driving and drug offences. Wiltshire Police has hailed this as a significant arrest and subsequent conviction.
PC Hobbs has now received a Chief Constable's Commendation for his quick thinking and selfless decision-making.
He was not the only Police Constable Luke to receive this award.
In August 2022, PC Luke Wheeler responded to a call from the ambulance service reporting that a woman was on the seventh floor of a multi-storey car park in Swindon.
He and three colleagues found the vulnerable woman sitting on an elevated barrier on the wrong side of the security fence with her legs overhanging the car park.
When she slid forward off the ledge, PC Wheeler and another officer quickly grabbed her wrists and pulled her back over the security fencing, saving her life.
Meanwhile, two members of the public received a Chief Constable’s Certificate of Recognition for their compassionate and courageous conduct shown during an incident in Swindon last July.
A 16-year-old girl left the Great Western Hospital in an extremely distressed state and walked along the A419 towards Junction 15 of the M4.
After motorists reported seeing her on a bridge over the motorway, Adam Jones and Reece Stapleton removed the girl from the wrong side of the safety barrier with help from two other passersby.
They then kept her safe until officers arrived at the scene and returned the girl to the hospital.
Chief Constable Keir Pritchard said: "As most of you know, I will be retiring in the coming months so tonight is my final chance to pay tribute to the incredible work, compassion and dedication of those who choose policing as their vocation.
“Our Force Awards ceremonies are extremely special; they are a moment for us to stop and reflect on the service you have provided, often across decades, and a time to recognise those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
“Policing is far more than a job to many of us in this room; it becomes part of who we are and a vocation we dedicate ourselves to.
“We step forward to selflessly protect, serve, keep the peace and deliver the best service we can for victims.
“Police officers, police staff and volunteers take up this vocation, knowing the risks and dangers, yet freely commit themselves to protect others.”
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