A Metropolitan Police officer who was horrifically attacked as she doggedly prevented a violent and dangerous suspect trying to escape from hospital has won a London Police Bravery Award.
On 17 February 2025, PC Georgia Brocklesby and her colleague were deployed to the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley to guard a man arrested for attempted murder and drug trafficking offences.
The offender secretly freed one hand from his restraints and, after her colleague had momentarily left to get him a glass of water, he violently assaulted PC Brocklesby.
He ran past her but she gave chase. Grabbing him, he attacked her.
She sustained a fractured nose, facial injuries and severe bruising, she continued to resist, restraining the suspect even after being knocked to the ground, physically dragged along a corridor, struck repeatedly and temporarily incapacitated.
PC Brocklesby recalled: “I saw him launch himself over me and he was out of his cuffs, and I thought, ‘Well, that's not very good’. We basically had a scrap down the whole corridor. He fell on the floor, over my leg, and I managed to get on top of him, but he was 6ft 4in, and I'm a mere 5ft 5in. I didn't really have much of a chance to go up against him.
“At the time it was fight or flight, so I chose fight… The only time I let him go is when he turned around and punched me in the face, and he had the handcuffs still attached to his wrist, so it cut my face and my head. He didn't knock me unconscious, but I was dazed.”
The suspect couldn’t get through the hospital doors because he needed a PIN number, PC Brocklesby said: “So the doors kind of saved my life.”
Eventually she managed to signal that she was in trouble, and her colleague ran back to help her. PC Brocklesby said: “It felt like he was a hero when he rugby-tackled him. I looked down and everything was just covered in blood, my body worn, my vest, my sleeves.
“He's obviously a violent offender, so I knew he was going to carry on and go and hurt other people. I just didn't want him to get away, so that was what was going through my head – please don't let him get away.”
PC Brocklesby further sustained a cut on her face, bruises on her arms and knees, a head injury and a broken nose that needed surgery. She has since been diagnosed with PTSD.
The attacker went to court, was found guilty of GBH and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
When PC Brocklesby found out she’d won a London Police Bravery Award, she said: “I’m proud of that. I think it's good that members of the public see that being a police officer isn't just whizzing around on blue lights. It's actually quite a dangerous job and officers do get really hurt and do have struggles – we're just human at the end of the day.”
Metropolitan Police Federation Chair Paula Dodds said: “Georgia showed true resilience and selfless commitment to public safety in the face of extreme violence and personal harm.
“Her actions prevented a volatile and dangerous offender from escaping into a public hospital, where patients, staff and members of the public would have been placed at serious risk.
“Well done Georgia – you are a credit to the Metropolitan Police and a worthy winner of a Bravery Award.”
PC Brocklesby will attend the London Police Bravery Awards 2026 on Thursday 26 March.
At the event three overall winners or teams will be announced, and they will attend the National Police Federation Bravery Awards in July.
The Gold sponsors of the London Police Bravery Awards are Police Friendly & Metfriendly, Axon, and Officer Insurance Cover, by Everywhen.
The Silver sponsors are Slater and Gordon Lawyers and JMW Solicitors.
The Bronze sponsors are Police Mortgages, Serve and Protect Credit Union, Accord, THB Solicitors, the National Police Healthcare Scheme, Uniform Mortgages, Addept, No1 CopperPot Credit Union, No5 Chambers, Blackfords and Penningtons Manches Cooper.
