Clacton Residents Praised for Bravery

A fierce house fire has led to five members of the public being commended for their bravery by the Chief Constable, Stephen Kavanagh.

In May 2013, a ferocious house fire occurred in Stanley Road, Clacton trapping a man, woman and young boy. While the man was downstairs, the woman was seen with the young boy shouting for help from a closed upstairs window by passer-by, Edith Barnard.

Edith Barnard summoned the help of five other local residents including Richard Stone, Thomas Gittens, Peter Craven and Christopher Emery who between them managed to climb up to the first floor, smashed the window and lowered the young boy to safety. With difficulty the woman was also helped from the window and out of harm’s way. Sadly the man could not be rescued and died at the scene.

 On 27^th February the brave residents were commended for their quick thinking, compassion and community spirit while saving the lives of others.

 Chief Constable, Stephen Kavanagh comments, “We can’t do our job without good people next to us and we should stand together, not just when things are bad.

 “Sometimes, people can be quite modest about what they do. But, what you did was truly remarkable and this marks a very community-spirited occasion. Today we want to make you feel special and this is a key moment to thank you for your support.”

 Nick Alston also attended the event and, with his strong Clacton roots, was delighted at the community spirit shown: “For me Clacton feels like home because my father used to be in charge at the station here. The press sometimes report on the negative things happening in Clacton, but there are many great stories to tell like this one.

“This was a tragic event, but the local residents we’ve honoured displayed courage and heroism,” continues Nick.

 After the speeches and awards presentation, the group were given a tour of the station led by the District Commander, Chief Inspector Cat Barrie.