West Sussex member of the public and police staff among those recognised for 'outstanding work' at annual awards

The West Sussex Divisional Awards ceremony took place on Monday, September 18 at Arundel Castle.

Among those recognised for their ‘outstanding work’ was member of the public, Alan Young, who was commended for ensuring the safety of a man in distress who had been in a collision in Petworth on Thursday, February 9.

Mr Young arrived first on scene and saw the vehicle on fire with the driver standing next to the road.

He called emergency services and stayed with the driver ensuring his welfare was of primary concern. Mr Young kept the driver at scene and waited for paramedics and police to arrive to assess and assist in the ongoing care of the driver.

His actions meant the driver didn’t come to any further harm.

Upon winning the award, he said: “I am humbled to get the award, but I am impressed by everyone else, and it is an honour to be a part of it all.”

PC Zachary Stout, of the Chichester Response Unit, was commended for risking his life to save a man who was standing on the roof of St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester, threatening to jump on Tuesday, March 21. PC Stout scaled the roof of the hospital to reach him.

He continued to negotiate with the man and showed empathy and understanding to his situation until the fire service arrived to get him to safety.

PC Stout went above and beyond, and placed himself in harm’s way for the good of the public.

On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, police received a report of a missing young person who had left school without warning in Bognor.

Acting Sergeant Amy Hickling, of the Bognor Response Unit, was off-duty and out running when she bumped into uniformed officers who had been searching for the missing person.

Sergeant Hickling continued her run while looking out for the girl, who she found in a distressed state on the beach.

She administered first aid, and believed the person may have taken an overdose. She used What-3-Words to alert officers where they were and stayed with the girl until family and help arrived.

Sergeant Hickling was recognised for going beyond what is expected of an off-duty officer.

Superintendent Nick Dias said: “It is a privilege to once again be a part of these awards and see all the amazing work our officers do day in, day out.

“I can’t stress enough how proud I am of all the award winners across the force, our external winners and the members of the public.

“It was a remarkable day, and a fitting venue for such an occasion.”