PC Lisa Bates at Downing Street for the Bravery Awards

SOUTH Yorkshire Police officers who were seriously injured by an axeman were nominated for this year’s National Police Bravery Awards.

Sheffield officers PC Lisa Bates and PC Mark Garrett – who did not attend Downing Street – met the Prime Minister and attended an evening Awards Reception. 

Lisa said: “We attended a domestic violence call. We had no information of who was there or what was happening at the address apart from a female screaming. Myself and my colleague, Mark, attended and straight away we were just attacked by this guy at the address, the offender. He punched and strangled my colleague, and then PAVA spray failed and then he came back out with an axe and chased us down a stairwell, threatened to kill us.

“And sadly he caught up with me, because I broke my leg trying to get away from him on the stairwell, and then he attacked me with the axe and I sustained a fractured skull, broken leg and injuries to my hands and fingers.”

Given a similar situation, would Lisa react in the same way?

“Yes. You never know what you’re going into really, and police officers up and down the country do it every day, all day long. It’s just one of those things. We’re there to do a job and you would do it again.”

Was she proud to be nominated for the National Bravery Awards?

Lisa concluded. “Yes, it’s lovely to be here and be part of this special day on behalf of South Yorkshire Police and everyone else, every other police officer that puts their lives at risk every day.”