Officer praised for preventing petrol station fire

A police officer who stopped a man from setting himself on fire at a petrol station, has been nominated for a bravery award.

Warwickshire Police said the man demanded other people, including the mayor, be brought to the forecourt, while covering himself in petrol and holding a lighter during the incident in Stratford upon Avon in April 2025.

The force said explosions at petrol stations could be disastrous, citing a case in Rome a year ago that left 45 people injured.

Alongside a negotiating team, Sgt Charlie Thompson attempted to talk the man down, a spokesperson said, and after distracting him, managed to tackle him to the ground.

Police body cam footage then showed other officers moving in, while a firefighter covered the individual with foam to stop further risk of ignition.

The man was offered support and rehoused since the incident, the force said.

Thompson was nominated for the Police Federation's National Police Bravery Awards.

The organisation said what happened was "volatile, unpredictable, and carried the potential for catastrophic loss of life".

As well as covering himself in petrol and holding a lighter, the man was also grasping a petrol can and had coated the fuel pump next to him in BBQ lighting gel.

The Police Federation said this act "transformed an already dangerous incident into a potential mass-casualty event".

After negotiations proved unsuccessful, the organisation said a plan was formed, which saw Thompson using an opportune moment to rush the man and tackle him to the ground - in so doing covering himself in petrol from the fuel can.

Despite the extreme risk to his own life, they said the sergeant managed to prise the lighter from the man's hand and colleagues moved in.

The federation praised Thompson's "calm, steady presence" throughout the stand-off.

Acting Chief Constable David Gardner said Thompson had "demonstrated incredible fortitude, empathy, and quick-thinking in his actions that day".

"It is thanks to him, and the other officers on the ground that there wasn't a tragedy that day in Stratford-upon-Avon," he added.

Thompson said he was "overwhelmed" by the award nomination, adding that he hoped the man involved was doing better.

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