Local award winner’s ‘sense of honour is growing’ ahead of national event

15 May 2024

A West Midlands Police Federation member who saved the lives of two elderly women says he is ‘delighted’ to receive a nomination for the National Police Bravery Awards 2024.

Glenn Brabham was named overall winner at the inaugural West Midlands Police Bravery Awards earlier this year for his heroic efforts in rescuing the women from underneath a car that had accidentally reversed into them.

Now the rescue is set to go up against outstanding acts of police service from across the country at July’s National Awards, to be held in London.

Glenn, 42, expressed his sense of pride at being chosen to represent the region at the ceremony in three months’ time.

“It feels surreal for me that my work will be recognised on a national level,” he said. “I’m absolutely over the moon to be nominated.”

Glenn Brabham was named overall winner at the inaugural West Midlands
Police Bravery Awards.

A win on the night would make a hat-trick of titles for the constable, who also clinched the Bravery Award for the Sandwell area back in January.

He continued: “The sense of honour I feel keeps growing more and more, going from local to regional, to national like this. You obviously don’t join the job for awards, but I can’t help but be proud.”

Glenn was not sure if the elderly women were even alive when he was called to the scene of the incident earlier this year. With both unresponsive, he courageously manoeuvred himself underneath the car and remained there for over five minutes, managing to remove one of the women from beneath the unstable vehicle.

The second woman was then brought to safety with the assistance of Fire and Ambulance teams who arrived on the scene at a later point.

He recalled: “It was just down to instinct. My first reaction would be to help anyone in such a dangerous situation, not least the elderly. I thought about my wife’s nans, and the fact that the two women would probably be grandmothers themselves.”

Glenn added that while an investigation into the incident is ongoing, he has been checking in from afar on the progress of the ladies, who are both making good recoveries.

He ended: “I still can’t fathom it all. It’s been a strange one at work, really – there’s been banter about me not being happy with enough attention the first and second times around, but of course, I know all my colleagues are so pleased for me.

“These last few months have just made me proud to be a police officer, to be honest.”

Joining Glenn at the National Awards ceremony will be his wife, Becca, with their two children set to make the trip down to London in support of their life-saving father too.

Also in attendance will be West Midlands Police Federation chair Rich Cooke, who believes the continuous recognition of his colleague’s actions is fully justified.

“We continue to be extremely proud of Glenn’s actions that day. He showed impeccable bravery to risk his own life for the two women,” said Rich.

“Of course, like most police officers who receive these awards, Glenn remains extremely modest and humble. However, he fully deserves to be recognised for his courageous actions.

“Everyone here at the Federation wishes him the best of luck at this year’s National Police Bravery Awards.”

This year’s ceremony, which is organised by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) will take place on 11 July.