A BUSINESSMAN who tackled a knife-wielding robber in Malmesbury has been recognised with a national police award for courage.

Andrew Carnegie went to help when he heard jeweller’s shop assistant Alicia Bird’s terrified scream only to be confronted with a man armed with a seven inch blade. The pair grappled and the robber fled.

Now he has been presented with a silver medal in the National Police Public Bravery Awards. which mark “extraordinary acts performed by seemingly ordinary people who have selflessly come to the aid of those in danger or intervened to foil criminals.”

Mr Carnegie, who spent last Saturday night raising almost £1,000 by taking part in a sleep out for local homeless charity Doorway, said he was humbled by the awards ceremony .

It was October 5, 2012 when he ran in from his shop next door to find Christopher Pike with his knife against the store assistant’s back.

Pike, described by detectives as a serial and dangerous offender, went towards Mr Carnegie with the knife and they crashed into a display case before he fled empty-handed. He was later caught and jailed for eight years after admitting a string of offences as well as the robbery.

Former army medic Mr Carnegie was last year given a Wiltshire Chief Constable’s certificate of appreciation and had no idea he had been nominated for the national awards presented by Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.

“I found it very humbling,” he said. “There was a young girl of eight who got the same award. She lay over her brother to protect him after she had been beaten by an intruder.

“One woman who got an award woke up to hear her husband telling her she was never going to see her children again because he was going to gouge her eyes out.

“I was sitting with such brave people and I felt I didn’t know if I deserved to be there. I just did what any man in Malmesbury would have done.”

He added: “By the time the evening finished there were not many dry eyes.”

Mr Carnegie is now turning his attention to the plight of the homeless and is using his experience at the sleepout to designing temporary shelters.

Anyone who wants to add to his Doorway Sleepout sponsorship total can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/AndrewCarnegie