Yorkshire have-a-go heroes honoured by police

Howard Kirman has been unable to work since he was stabbed in the arm by Patrick Leslie, who had stolen cigarettes from a shop in Halifax.

Leslie had threatened a shop assistant with the knife, but Mr Kirman tackled him and held him on the ground until the police arrived.

Mr Kirman, who needed surgery after the February 2009 attack, was one of seven heroes from across the country to be honoured with a gold medal at the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) Public Bravery Awards last night.

One of the gold medals was awarded posthumously to Deka Kennedy, who was murdered while trying to rescue a stranger from a violent assault in South Shields.

Mr Kennedy's mother Jean received the award on his behalf at the Manchester ceremony, which recognised the outstanding bravery of people from 17 different police forces.

Silver medal winners from Yorkshire included David Clarke, a duty manager at Leeds railway station, who was stabbed through the shoulder as he tried to stop a mentally ill man, Rakeen Regan, getting on to the tracks on June 1, 2008.

Mr Clarke had been unaware that, earlier that day, the paranoid schizophrenic had killed his own grandmother, the anti-violence campaigner Pat Regan.

Security guard Andrew Clapham was honoured for protecting a woman who was attacked by her partner in Bradford in September last year.

Mr Clapham was working in a department store where the couple were arguing and, after the man struck the woman, he ordered the attacker to leave. Once outside, the man suddenly produced a knife and stabbed her in the chest.

Mr Clapham managed to force the attacker away with a sweeping brush from a display outside a neighbouring store.

Stephen Page received a silver medal for helping police catch Alan McMullan, who stabbed pregnant woman Claire Wilson to death in a Grimsby street in June last year. Mr Page ran after McMullan and alerted an officer in a nearby police van, who caught up with him and made the arrest.

Gemma Dillon received a silver medal for helping catch a thief who tried to steal 200 from a man at a cash machine in Hull in March last year. Ms Dillon, who saw the struggle, retrieved some of the cash which had fallen on to the floor and called the police as she followed the thief into into a fast food restaurant and a bar. He was eventually arrested on the roof of a neighbouring shop.

Brothers Wajid and Junaid Khan and their cousin Ali Akbar, all of Leeds, were honoured for helping a woman who was attacked by two 16-year-olds in February last year.

The youths confronted the 55-year-old woman and tried to steal her handbag. When she resisted they kicked her and repeatedly punched her in the face, drawing blood.

No-one stopped to help until the three men ran across the road and caught one of the attackers. Both were later convicted of attempted robbery.

Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes, of South Yorkshire Police, who is responsible for the awards, said: "These awards showcase some extraordinary stories of bravery and many selfless acts of kindness and we are delighted to be honouring these very brave people.

"These awards give Acpo the opportunity to formally thank and acknowledge those public-spirited people who have assisted the police in fighting crime in the community."