News / avon and somerset police
Police horses and riders honoured for role played in ‘kill the bill’ protests
Police horses and their riders were a noticeable presence during the ‘kill the bill’ protests in Bristol.
They were positioned outside Bridewell police station on the night of the riot on March 21, and during subsequent demonstations chased protesters down St George’s Road and along Bond Street, where a firework exploded close to one of the animals.
Six months after the violent scenes, horses and riders have been honoured at the inaugural Police Horse and Officer Action of the Year awards on the final evening of the 2021 Horse of the Year Show at Birmingham’s NEC.
is needed now More than ever
Horses Mendip, Somerset, Windsor, Trinity, Blaise and Clevedon were all honoured.
Avon & Somerset police said that their “intensive training… enabled them to negotiate the escalating situation with confidence and the mounted team courageously carried out their duties to restore order and protect the public and their colleagues”.
Several of the team worked 17-hour shifts, spending 12 of these in the saddle.
Sergeant Hannah Clarke and PCs Tracey Small, Beth Enright, Tristan Smith, Rowan Webber and Trudi Wilsher were all presented with awards by the chief constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary, Rod Hansen.
Also in attendance were PCs Helen DuHeaume and Amy Huxtable, who had been part of the mounted patrol team on March 26, alongside other mounted officers and grooms including stable manager Jon Green, Kelly Wanstall, Natalie Box, Sara Treble and Darryl Snow.
Police horses on the night of the ‘kill the bill’ riot – photo: Martin Booth
Chief superintendent Claire Armes, head of the operational support directorate at Avon & Somerset police, said: “What our officers and horses experienced were levels of violence like nothing they had seen before.
“The courage and resilience they displayed was a credit to their characters, their training, and to the outstanding bonds of loyalty and trust that our officers have built with their horses.
“Seeing our mounted section team recognised for their professionalism, bravery, dedication and commitment with such a prestigious award makes us immensely proud and we thank them, and all of their colleagues who experienced the terrible events in March, for their outstanding work in protecting the public and their colleagues.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: ‘I calmly told police that I was a journalist but they said they didn’t believe me’
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
