UNARMED officers who tackled Sir David Amess’ killer have been named as finalists in the search for the “Best of British” heroes.

PC Ryan Curtis and PC Scott James tackled a terrorist moments after he had fatally stabbed the late Southend MP, Sir David Amess.

Both have been named finalists in the Amplifon Awards For Brave Britons 2022 in the Act of Courage category.

They will now be invited to the virtual awards presentation on Tuesday, October 11.

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The event will be hosted by BBC1 TV Breakfast and Radio 5 Live presenter Rachel Burden. Falklands War hero Simon Weston will be guest of honour.

The officers, who are both on the South LPA Disruptor team, heard reports on their radio of a stabbing at the Belfairs Methodist Church at around 12 noon and they immediately headed to the scene to help.

PC James said: “I remember it all happening very quickly, one minute we were conducting a routine arrest and the next minute we were on blue lights to the church where we knew the suspect was still inside with a knife.”

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PC Curtis added: “Our main thought was to get there as quickly as possible - we did not really have time to think, we just wanted to stop anyone else from being seriously injured.”

The pair arrived at the church in Eastwood Road North, within minutes and were told by people outside that Sir David was lying injured inside along with a still armed assailant.

Despite only carrying their police batons and spray the officers, who were in plain clothes entered the building knowing that the nearest armed unit was still five-minutes away, but they hoped to save Sir David and arrest the killer.

PC James said: “No-one knew if there were any other people inside with the attacker.

“At this point we knew there was no option other than for Ryan and I to go inside without taser or firearms support.

“We couldn’t stand outside if there was a chance other people were getting attacked and we also wanted to get paramedics inside the building as soon as possible to save Sir David.”

PC Curtis added: “Once we got inside, we shouted at the suspect to drop the weapon and he refused and then he started walking towards us with the knife.

“We didn’t know what he was going to do, we knew he might attempt to attack us, but we had to stop him getting past us as there were other members of the public outside.

“We carried on shouting at him and trying to persuade him to stop and eventually he dropped the weapon allowing us to arrest him.”