Unsung heroes--putting their lives on the line to safeguard ours

32 year old Christopher Alexander Loughton, had managed to get into Kingsbury Halal Butchers,grabbed a foot long meat cleaver and had viciously attacked four young police officers who had dared to tackle him.We have all read with horror of the substantial, serious injuries sustained by these young officers.The news was relayed on national TV within the hour, as Harrovians watched the shocking incident unfold with total disbelief.It was surreal.This is not the sort of thing one associates with Harrow.

Off duty Police officers rushed back to the borough to offer much needed help.We are very grateful to these loyal officers who stood by their colleagues in their hour of need.

We are very fortunate that the man who carried out these awful stabbings has been arrested and is in Police custody awaiting sentencing at the Old Bailey on November 28.Despite the spine chilling experience,we saw, once again, local citizens come forward and offer sustenance to their local cops.It is heartening to see the rapport that exists between our officers and the man on the street.It is something we have worked hard to achieve.

Full marks to all those involved with the investigation and to Borough Commander,Dal Babu,and his team for getting to the scene of the crime and relaying information first-hand via satellite TV.He re-assured local citizens that the perpetrator had been arrested and taken into custody.The speed with which this was done was vitally important and helped dispel speculation that there had been some sort of "gang killing".People were quickly jumping to conclusions and becoming fearful but factual reports fom the top cop quickly helped bring down the tension enormously.

The use of other forms of reporting such as neighbourhood links and social media,backed by TV reports every few hours for a number of days,regularly updating the public how the investigation was progressing,along with leaflet drops in relevant locations,proved extremely effective.Our officers deserve huge thanks for keeping us well informed and for helping restore normalcy to the affected area,at a fair pace.

We have all become accustomed to mechanically saying that police officers put their lives on the line 24/7 for us as they go about their daily rounds.Seeing it actually happen in front of us,in broad daylight,is a stark reminder of how much we really owe to these brave men and women who pound the streets day in and day out,ensuring they are made safe for us,They are the real troopers and usung heroes who readily jump into action to protect us.

We must remember,unlike the United States of America or many other countries,our officers are unarmed.At best they wear stab vests.Maybe the time has come for us to consider offering them more protection,in a changing world,where violence erupts unannounced.The Metropolitan Police prides itself on remaining unarmed but,having witnessed this latest incident, a healthy debate seems in order.The public are appalled that officers can become moving targets and have nothing to retaliate with, in extreme circumstances such as this one.It could happen anywhere,anytime.Who is looking after their safety?I am sure the new Commissioner and his team at New Scotland Yard will give this some thought.It was good of him to appear on National TV last Saturday and offer words of re-assurance.I am sure these officers would appeciate a visit from him.

These young men jumped into the highly charged affray without any thought for their personal safety.Two have now been discharged from hospital and will recover in due course.However,two of our local officers have sustained life-changing injuries.Our sincere prayers and thoughts are with them,as they undergo painful surgeries.Family liason officers are helping support their distressed families and relatives.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner,Bernard Hogan-Howe,Home Secretay Teresa May and Mayor of London,Boris Johnson have praised their outstanding bravery as has their Borough Commander,Chief Superintendent, Dal Babu.He has visited them and carried good wishes from many citizens.We owe them a debt of gratitude.Were it not for their courage we would probably have witnessed carnage on the streets of Kingsbury that day.We wish they recover fully and are able to get back to work,albeit in a different role,in due course.They all deserve gallantry medals.

The next time you see your local bobbie spare them a thought.They are all unsung heroes and deserve your support.We are very proud of them and send them our best wishes.God speed.

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