On 10 January 2025, PC Andrew Collis responded to reports of a man throwing bricks on Queens Road, Craig y Don. He was singly crewed, and on arrival he found a male standing in the middle of the road, shouting incoherently and showing clear signs of distress.

When PC Collis approached, the man suddenly ran down the side of a nearby property, which turned out to be his home.

Following him out of concern for public safety, PC Collis reached the rear of the address and immediately noticed the carcass of a dead dog outside the back door, an unsettling sign that something was seriously wrong.

He entered the property, stepping into a dark kitchen where the windows had been boarded up. Rats ran across the floor, and the male, now inside, began hurling household items at him while shouting ramblings that made no sense.

PC Collis attempted to calm the situation, but the man grew increasingly agitated and continued to throw heavy and dangerous objects directly at him.

Realising the situation was escalating rapidly, he deployed his CS spray in an attempt to gain control. The male fled into the hallway, and PC Collis followed, determined to prevent him from escaping the property and posing a further risk to the public.

At the front door, the man suddenly turned to confront him. As PC Collis took hold of him by the shoulders, he felt a heavy blow to his lower abdomen. Looking down, he saw the man pulling a serrated steak knife out of his body armour.

Despite the shock of realising he had been stabbed, he kept hold of the man and pushed him away, trying to create distance as the blade glinted in the light and the man attempted to stab him again.

A violent struggle followed. The knife eventually fell to the floor, and PC Collis managed to get a handcuff on the man while fighting to keep his footing.

He knew that if he went to the ground, the consequences could be fatal. Throughout the incident, he gave clear updates to the control room, calmly reporting that he had been stabbed and continuing to manage the situation despite injuries to his hands and the impact to his body armour

Additional officers arrived shortly afterwards and helped restrain the man. PC Collis was taken straight to hospital, where his wounds were treated and his damaged body armour seized by CSI.

Remarkably, he returned to work that same night, declining any sickness leave. A week later, he was issued new body armour and resumed full duties, continuing the job he has done for 25 years.

Body worn video from the incident shows the full extent of the danger he faced. PC Collis entered the property alone, not knowing what he would encounter, and chose to remain there singly crewed to minimise the risk to the public.

He placed himself in harm’s way to protect others, showing exceptional courage and professionalism in the face of a violent and unpredictable attack.

The suspect was not charged due to his mental capacity at the time, a decision PC Collis has shown great understanding of.

The incident served as a stark reminder of the unpredictable risks faced by frontline officers, and of the life saving importance of PPE a point reinforced by the Chief Constable in a blog following the event.

North Wales Police Federation Chair Trystan James-Bevan said: "Andy is a true professional, an officer that put himself forward in the face of danger to do the right thing by the public and communities he serves - Llongyfarchiada a da Iawn Andy."

PC Collis’s actions that day exemplify bravery, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to public safety.