03/07/2026
🤩 MEMBERS NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL BRAVERY AWARD AFTER HOUSE FIRE RESCUE
Two Gwent Police officers who risked their safety to rescue a man trapped inside a burning house have been nominated for a national Bravery Award.
PC Danielle Westbrook and PC Thomas Simmonds have been praised for their courage in pulling the man to safety and will represent the Force at this year’s Police Federation of England and Wales Bravery Awards.
The officers were the first to arrive at the scene of a house fire in Tredegar during the early hours of 6 April 2025.
On arrival, they were met by a distressed resident whose deafness initially made communication difficult, before the officers established that another person remained inside the house.
Danielle and Thomas entered the burning house in an attempt to locate the missing occupant.
Thick smoke severely restricted their visibility and, despite making their way upstairs, they were forced to retreat as conditions deteriorated.
However, knowing someone was still trapped inside, Danielle made the courageous decision to re-enter the house.
At the top of the stairs, through the dense smoke, she spotted a hand appearing on the banister.
She immediately moved towards the casualty, grabbed hold of him and, with assistance from firefighters, pulled him to safety.
The man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and scarring to his lungs.
The officers’ award citation said: “Nonetheless, it is unequivocal that the decisive and selfless actions demonstrated by PC Cole and PC Simmonds were instrumental in giving the individual a fighting chance of survival.
“Their exceptional bravery and commitment to public service in the face of significant personal risk are to be highly commended, and their conduct reflects the very highest standards of the police service.”
The courageous duo will represent Gwent Police at an award ceremony this summer.
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