Top bravery honour for hero cops

HERO cops have won bravery awards for tackling a maniac armed with a meat cleaver who was terrorising a GP surgery.

- JOHN SCHEERHOUT

PCs Simon Toft and Alicia Snowden confronted Michael Brannigan at Woodley Health Centre in Stockport after he had threatened staff and patients in March.

Terrified receptionists locked themselves in consultation rooms while a doctor held a door shut and tried to reason with Brannigan, who had robbed a pharmacy and attacked a stranger minutes earlier.

PC Toft was first on the scene with his trainee, PC Alicia Snowden. He had to fire his Taser stun gun at Brannigan for 19 seconds to subdue him before PC Snowden arrested him.