A courageous duo who saved the life of a shopkeeper who was being attacked by a dangerous individual with a sledgehammer have been nominated for the National Police Bravery Awards 2025.

On 13 September 2021, PC Aaron Prayter and PC Alfie Challis from the Metropolitan Police Service responded to reports that a man had stolen a sledgehammer from a tyre shop in Leyton and had attacked a member of the public.

When the officers arrived at the scene, PC Prayter helped provide first aid to the victim. The man had been punched in the face and knocked unconscious. While he was on the ground, the attacker had repeatedly stamped on his head, before stealing his bag.

PC Challis searched the area for the assailant. A member of the public pointed him towards a corner shop, and he could see there were signs of a struggle inside, so he called for assistance from PC Prayter.

Both officers entered the shop and heard the shopkeeper pleading for help. Despite being unarmed and not knowing what they would find, they ventured further inside and found the suspect on the floor attacking the shopkeeper.

PC Challis recalled: “We rushed over, and the suspect was over the shopkeeper, choking him with the handle of the sledgehammer. We shouted: ‘Get off! Police!’, and then I grabbed him and pulled him off.

“He didn’t fight us, and he dropped the sledgehammer. He was obviously suffering from a mental health crisis. We dragged the suspect out and arrested him for attempted murder on the shopkeeper and the boy outside. The shopkeeper thanked us; he said he couldn’t breathe, and if we got there a second later he would have died.”

Later the officers found out the attacker had hit the shopkeeper on the head with the sledgehammer before getting him on the floor. Thankfully, both victims made a full recovery.

The police later discovered the man had robbed a young woman earlier that day. At his trial he was charged with robbery and two counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

PC Prayter said: “Alfie is someone that I trust with my life – I know that he’s got my back, and vice versa. We work very well together. We’re the sort of crew mates that, when you go to something, you just look at each other and you know what each other’s thinking.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Federation said: “This dangerous assailant tried to murder two members of the public. PC Prayter and PC Challis were unarmed but courageously intervened, with no thought for their own safety, helping to save lives and get the attacker off the streets.”