RECOGNISE OUR HEROES WHO PUT 'LIVES ON LINE'

George Cross recipient backs our campaign to honour injured emergency workers

- BY RICHARD ASHMORE

A GEORGE Cross hero has backed the Daily Express campaign for a medal to honour emergency workers injured putting their lives on the line.

Courageous former police officer Tony Gledhill, 88, is one of only two living recipients of the prestigious award.

In 1966, PC Gledhill and his partner PC Terry McFall, both then 28, braved a hail of bullets from crooks armed with shotguns and pistols in a car chase through the streets of London.Today he proudly offers his backing to our crusade Honour Our Injured 999 Heroes, calling for a medal of recognition for injured emergency service workers who at present get nothing.

Tony said: “You can get injured doing anything in these jobs.

“You are always on the front line, the police officer walking his beat, the firefighter attending horrendous fires, the ambulance crew up against it with attacks and abuse.

“This medal is really something that has got to be done for them, which is why I fully support this campaign.

“When you put your life on the line you don’t think about it, it’s an instinctive action. I was determined to catch them and carry on.”

Tony remembers vividly the day he and his colleague chased down the fleeing gunmen.

Reaching more than 80mph in their Papa One patrol car, PC Gledhill and PC McFall refused to give up the pursuit despite being fired on 15 times, armed only with a whistle and a truncheon each.