Dog handler nominated for Pride of Britain Award

PC Duffy and PD Reno

A courageous dog handler who was seriously assaulted in the line of duty has been nominated for a prestigious national award.

PC Chris Duffy sustained a serious head injury after being attacked from behind but was still able to get to his feet and track down his attacker.

He has now been nominated for a prestigious Pride of Britain Award.

PC Duffy was in the process of detaining a suspect in a dark alleyway when he was set upon in the early hours of Saturday 11 March last year.

Despite receiving a severe head wound which left his skull exposed, he got to his feet with his dog Reno and was able to locate his attacker.

Crucially, he retained the calmness and presence of mind to avoid further contact with his attacker – thereby ensuring that crucial forensic evidence was not contaminated.

The weapon used was never recovered but the attacker was eventually jailed for 11-and-a-half years.

PC Duffy, a former firearms officer who has been a dog handler for six years, is one of four nominees for the Pride of Britain This Morning Emergency Services award.

He appeared on ITV’s This Morning show on Thursday to talk about his experiences.

Speaking about the nomination he said:

“It’s a real honour to be nominated for this award and I’d like to thank whoever put me forward for it.

“What happened that night was difficult to come to terms with, and I still experience pain as a result of the wound I received.

“Going back on duty was challenging at first but I have 100 per cent faith in Reno and it’s been great to be back out there with him.

“We’ve been together for a long time now and I’m looking forward to continuing our service in the future.

“Being a dog handler is something I’ve always wanted to do and in my opinion it’s the best job in policing.

“I am thankful I am now able to continue doing this job alongside fellow officers who are doing fantastic work every day to keep the public safe.”

Superintendent Louise Clarke said:

“Chris has shown a huge amount of courage – not only on the night in question but also over the weeks and months since he and PD Reno have returned to duty.

“In doing so he has shown all the qualities and more that the public expect from their police officers.

“We are really proud of Chris and hope this nomination helps to shed further light on the exceptional bravery and dedication he and his colleagues so often display as they work to keep the public safe.”

Inspector Simon Riley, Chair of the Nottinghamshire Police Federation, said:

“I’ve known Chris for a long time now and know what an exceptional and dedicated officer he is.

“Coming back from this kind of incident and having the bravery to put yourself in harm’s way is really not easy, so I really am full of admiration for the courage he has displayed in returning to duty.

“He and Reno make a formidable team, and we are fortunate to have them here at Nottinghamshire Police.”

To watch the film broadcast on ITV this week - and to learn more about all the finalists - please click here.