Proud officer dedicates Bravery Awards nomination to family

22 June 2026

A North Yorkshire Police officer has dedicated his nomination for a Bravery Award to his family.

Roads policing officer PC Mike Halsted is one of three North Yorkshire Police Federation members nominated for risking their own safety to rescue a driver whose vehicle crashed onto a railway track.

Firearms officers PC Alex McGee and PC Anthony Grant-Marston have also been recognised for their actions.

Mike said the nomination for this year's Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Bravery Awards is for his wife, Nici, and their children, Georgia, 16, and 12-year-old Harry.

He said: “Primarily, it’s for them. I didn't come from a massive kind of family background, and the one thing I wanted was for my kids just to be proud of something.“That’s how I feel about this, that it’s hopefully something they can be proud of.”

‘Something they can be proud of’

Reflecting on the nomination, Mike said it still feels surreal from his own perspective.

He continued: “I can remember the specific transmission and just the feeling of thinking ‘surely not’.

“Then you get there and realise it is exactly as reported. There was just chaos, really.

“Because of the shift I was working that day, I wasn’t doing my normal duty, but I was the closest to it.

“You go from thinking one thing to dealing with something completely different.”

Fatal crash on railway line

The incident happened in York Place, Harrogate, on the afternoon of 17 July 2025.

Mike was first on the scene and found the vehicle at the bottom of a steep bank, having come to rest upside down on the railway line below.

The firearms officers were nearby and attended to provide enhanced tactical medical capability. Firefighters were also in attendance.

Race to save the driver

Despite being advised by Network Rail that it was unsafe to enter the tracks, the officers decided to access the line to provide urgent life-saving assistance to the casualty.

The driver was removed from the vehicle and carried up the steep embankment to the Stray by officers and firefighters, where emergency treatment was provided before ambulance and air ambulance crews took over.

Tragically, despite the efforts of everyone involved, the driver died.

‘There are more deserving officers’

Despite the recognition, Mike said he believes many other officers are equally deserving of praise.

He said: "I still struggle with the bravery element because I know loads of cops who have been to horrendous jobs and never had any recognition.

“A good friend of mine went into a burning building to drag somebody out after a car had gone through the side of his house and there was no recognition for that.

"There are hundreds of cops in our force and thousands across the country who have faced life-threatening situations and not had any recognition.“So for me to get something like this, I'm incredibly shocked."

Praise from Police Federation

Rob Bowles, North Yorkshire Police Federation chair, said the officers’ “selfless actions were in the best traditions of British policing”.

He added: “They put their lives at risk, going onto the railway tracks, to try to save the life of a member of the public. They are a credit to North Yorkshire Police.”

Chief Constable hails ‘the very best of policing’

Chief Constable Tim Forber praised the three officers for their actions.

He said: “The actions of PC Mike Halstead, PC Alex McGee and PC Anthony Grant-Marston exemplify the very best of policing in our country.

“They showed remarkable courage, professionalism, and dedication in what was undoubtedly a dangerous and unpredictable situation.

“Their willingness to put themselves in harm's way to help someone in need reflects the highest standard of our service to the community and the ideals of our force as a whole.

“I am immensely proud of their actions and delighted to see their bravery recognised through this nomination.”