‘Incredible’ Bravery Award nominee wished luck ahead of ceremony

7 July 2026

Branch chair Trystan Bevan has sent his best wishes to the heroic officer set to represent North Wales at the 2026 National Police Bravery Awards.

With the annual event fast approaching, PC Andy Collis is preparing for a special occasion which will celebrate exceptional acts of courage across England and Wales over the past year.

Andy received his Bravery Awards nomination for his outstanding courage and determination in responding to a domestic disturbance, despite not initially being assigned to the incident.

While on duty in an unmarked car, Andy realised he was only seconds away from the location at the centre of reports he heard over his police radio and soon took responsibility by quickly getting himself to the street in question.

What he found was an erratically behaved man throwing bricks from the middle of the road, before running down the driveway of a nearby property once he had spotted the officer’s presence. 

With a potentially dangerous situation on his hands, Andy’s chase of the individual led him towards the property and into conditions he described as like a ‘horror movie’.

A large, deceased dog, a rat infestation and darkness from boarded-up windows were all part of the scene – but became the least of Andy’s worries when the suspect began to throw objects at him from the kitchen.

After further violence and resistance, Andy made progress at physically restraining the man – who was also shouting incomprehensibly throughout – until the situation escalated dramatically.

Knife attack

Initially unbeknownst to Andy, the suspect began attempting to stab him with a knife, with only his body armour saving him from serious injury.

Moving towards areas below the armour, the suspect was described as ‘using all his strength to try and force the knife into me’.

But despite both his wounds – from both the knife and the PAVA spray he had previously drawn – and his shock, Andy continued in his sole objective of disarming the man.

Following a prolonged scuffle, this is what he successfully managed to do, before Force colleagues arrived at the scene to complete the arrest.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Andy got checked out at hospital and returned to duty the same evening – but much further down the line, his actions will now take on an even greater legacy.

He will proudly attend the Bravery Awards down in London this summer, with branch chair Trystan ready to root for him at the prestigious ceremony.

Bravery award

“Andy is an absolute credit to the Force and to our Federation, and his incredible service that day in such challenging and disturbing conditions deserves a huge amount of appreciation,” Trystan said.

“For him to receive something as special as a Bravery Awards nomination is extremely pleasing – I couldn’t be happier for him, and I hope he is looking forward to all the recognition still yet to come his way.

“The initiative he showed to take control of the incident in its infancy was crucial, securing police attention on the suspect before he could harm anyone with his unpredictable behaviour.

“Without doubt, he prevented the situation from becoming more serious, but only at the risk of his own safety. This sort of bravery from police officers should never be taken for granted and should always be celebrated. 

“On behalf of the Federation, I wish Andy the best of luck for the Bravery Awards."

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