Officer recognised for bravery in helping a woman on fire at a shopping centre

PC Elliot Alvis was one of a number of officers responding to reports of a distressed woman on the roof of the Orbital Shopping Centre in Swindon on 9 January 2026. When officers arrived, the woman, who had already been reported as a high-risk missing person, fled and doused herself in a flammable liquid before deliberately setting herself alight.

Without hesitation, the officers placed themselves in significant danger to save her life.

Elliot described how the woman ran in front of his police vehicle and "suddenly went up in flames". He immediately assisted a colleague in extinguishing the fire, using his bare hands to pat down the flames as they spread across her body. Elliot also helped remove her badly burned clothing and provided first aid for her serious injuries until paramedics arrived.

Elliot said: "There wasn't any time to think, I just acted on instinct to save her life and I'm sure that any of my colleagues would have done the exact same thing."

Elliot and his colleagues received a Commendation award at the recent Force Awards held at Wiltshire Police Headquarters in Devizes. They were told that, had it not been for their rapid, decisive and selfless intervention, the outcome could have been catastrophic.

The incident took place at a busy shopping centre during the middle of the day, requiring officers to manage extreme risk to themselves while also protecting members of the public.

Elliot had always wanted to join the police. His father was a police officer, and he said it seemed like the right career for him.

Elliot said:"It seemed like an exciting career and meant I could be out and about rather than sitting in an office somewhere.

"I really enjoy my job and being able to make a positive difference to someone's life, or help achieve a positive outcome for them, motivates me to keep putting in the effort."

The officers were also nominated for the national Police Federation Bravery Awards.