An off-duty Hampshire Police officer who dragged an injured and violent man off a busy motorway carriage, saving his life, attended The National Police Bravery Awards yesterday evening.

PC Jordan Janaway wrestled with the man, who was in the middle of a mental health crisis, after he had tried to attack his own father and other innocent motorists with a hammer on the M3 near Winchester.

The Basingstoke-based officer didn't pick up an award for her efforts at the ceremony - which was held in London on Thursday, July 14.

But her colleagues at Hampshire Police said they were "proud" of her nonetheless.

A spokesperson said: "Unfortunately PC Janaway did not win the regional award or the overall one. We are all very proud of PC Janaway and what she did that day."

At around 4pm on November 14, 2020, PC Janaway, who had only been a police officer for a few months, was off-duty and driving along the motorway to get to work.

Coming towards Winchester, she saw a vehicle parked in the hatched area that separates the slip road from the first lane of the carriageway. She then saw a man in front of the vehicle frantically waving his arms, with another man lying partially in the live line, forcing her to brake hard to avoid hitting him.

She pulled over and got out to assist the driver of the stopped vehicle, who said that he had hit the man after he had stepped out in front of his car. They both dragged the injured man out of the live lane and to relative safety on the hard shoulder.

He was bleeding from his head but was conscious. Another motorist approached and said the injured man had just tried to attack him with a hammer and had also been fighting with someone else, which is when PC Janaway spotted the weapon in the second lane of the motorway.

The injured man started to talk and made a further attempt to get up and move towards the carriageway, forcing PC Janaway and the member of the public to restrain him.

He then started to try to pull PC Janaway down towards him, attempting to sexually assault her. The man was restrained until on-duty officers arrived and handcuffed him.

It later transpired the man had attacked his own father with a hammer immediately prior to PC Janaway's arrival while in a van on the M3. The man, who was suffering a violent mental health crisis, also tried to attack multiple others.

Hampshire Police federation chair Zoë Wakefield said: “Jordan showed immense bravery and integrity by stopping to assist with this incident while off-duty, at great risk to herself.

“She was only months into being a police officer and had no personal protection equipment whatsoever.

“Jordan almost certainly prevented this man’s death by pulling him out of the live carriageway and then keeping him down, even though he was a large, strong man. We are very proud of her actions.”

PC Janaway was one of 76 officers nominated in the annual ceremony. Lincolnshire PC Steven Denniss scooped the prestigious overall award for his heroics in helping to apprehend a wanted double murderer. He was stabbed in the leg while chasing Daniel Boulton who was sentenced to life for killing his ex-partner and her nine-year-old son.

Several other officers also took home regional awards for their courageous acts.