Four Scots honoured at Police Public Bravery Awards 2025
A father and son who rescued children from a house fire near Perth have been honoured at the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s annual Police Public Bravery Awards.
The prestigious ceremony honours selfless members of the public who have placed themselves in dangerous situations, protected others, prevented crime or actively assisted police.
Rory and Andrew Macgregor were among three Scottish gold medal winners recognised at the event, which took place in Sheffield on Thursday.
The pair, aged 63 and 25, rescued two children from a burning building in Methven in August 2023, after they heard screaming.
They also found two other people who were injured as they searched the property before emergency services arrived. Tragically, one person lost their life in the incident.
The third gold medal winner was Karen Dunnet, who saved people trapped inside a burning car in South Lanarkshire.
The 54-year-old came across the crash on a rural road near Dolphington in August, 2023.
She managed to rescue the driver and passenger by pulling them to safety. Both were taken to hospital for treatment.
Alan Wallace was awarded a silver medal after he rescued a stranger from a loch in Campbeltown in November 2023.
He followed the man down a dark embankment and into the water after he got into difficulty due to the high tide and managed to drag him to the shore.
Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Lauren Poultney, who hosted the awards as honorary secretary, said: “Rory and Andrew’s immense bravery and selflessness, and Karen and Alan’s rapid thinking and courageous actions, undoubtedly saved multiple lives.
“Their actions exemplify why we host these awards every year.
“Members of the public supporting police and strangers in need, rather than walking away, display remarkable compassion and selflessness. They choose to help without the training, safety equipment and support our police officers have access to when protecting the public from harm.
“This courage needs to be recognised and it is my honour to do so through the Police Public Bravery Awards.”
Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff attended the awards on behalf of Police Scotland: “The selfless actions of Rory, Andrew, Karen and Alan in such tragic and stressful circumstances demonstrate enormous compassion and bravery.
“They chose to put themselves in harm’s way to help others in their time of need, and that takes tremendous courage.
“I am delighted and proud that they have been given gold medals at the Police Public Bravery Awards, and offer them my thanks and congratulations.”
