The King is likely to approve a Daily Express-backed campaign for an Injured in Service Medal to honour emergency workers who have suffered physical or mental trauma on the front line. The Honours Committee, the panel that decides on awards, has passed its decision to King Charles. While no result can be formally announced, it is extremely rare for a monarch to reject any recommendation from the committee.
Minister's Letter and Campaign Support
In a letter to campaigners seen by the Daily Express, Labour policing and crime minister Sarah Jones said she “cannot formally confirm” any decision, but there had been a “positive meeting” and she remained “fully behind” the campaign to create a medal. The letter follows her meetings with former detective and award campaigner Tom Curry twice this year. Tom was joined by Lib Dem MP Tom Morrison and Conservative MP Matt Vickers, who have supported his 999 Injured and Forgotten campaign backed by the Daily Express crusade to Honour Our Injured 999 Heroes. Mr Morrison and Mr Vickers were behind a motion passed in the House of Commons in November backing an award after it previously received cross-party support from 111 MPs.
Tom, 76, a former police officer who was himself injured on duty, has led the campaign for over four years. He said he was “delighted” at the “positive news” and thanked the Daily Express for its support.
Campaigners and Families React
“After agreeing on the criteria, it will be progressed to the King for his approval,” he said. “Then the worthy former 999 recipients will finally be officially recognised with their long-overdue and brand-new injury medal. I am, of course, delighted that, after my four long years of hard work, we have had positive news that the Honours Committee fully support my medal proposal. My appreciation goes to the two fine, genuinely caring MPs, Tom Morrison and Matt Vickers, who have helped advance the campaign to this momentous stage. I am grateful to the policing and crime minister, Sarah Jones, for her invaluable support. Special thanks must go to the continuing support from the Daily Express and the great many front-page articles from reporters Richard Ashmore and Adam Toms. I thank all who supported me and greatly enhanced my credibility.”
Debbie Adlam, the mother of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed on duty as he tried to stop a quadbike robbery, told the Daily Express it was “wonderful” to hear the decision now sits with His Majesty for approval. “Our emergency services are the best of us, and I massively believe in the importance of them being seen and acknowledged, and importantly to feel valued when their efforts end up in injury. I hope King Charles is as enthusiastic about this as I am. I send my best wishes to all who need and deserve this result, and I look forward to seeing the first awards being made.”
Recognition for Injured Officers
Met Police officer Kris Aves, who was left paralysed after being hit by the van used in the Westminster Bridge terror attack in March 2017, said: “This is great news, the injury medal campaign has now reached its final stage of completion with just the King himself to sign it off. This marks a significant milestone in recognising service, sacrifice and resilience.”
Bryn Hughes and Paul Bone backed the Daily Express campaign earlier this year. The two fathers previously campaigned successfully for the creation of the Elizabeth Emblem, an award given posthumously to families of officers who have died on duty. Both attended the first presentation by the King in 2024 in honour of their daughters, PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone, who were murdered on the front line in 2012. Bryn told the Daily Express: “It’s encouraging to see that at last those emergency service workers that go to work protecting, serving and saving us, the public, who are injured on duty and are forced into early retirement may be formally recognised by the state. No award can take away those injuries but at least they will know that their sacrifice will not go unnoticed.” Paul added he was “pleased” that the award was “progressing”, and that he “hoped it won’t be too long before the injured personnel receive their recognition.”
Pam White, 68, has never received recognition for injuries she received 43 years ago in an IRA bomb attack on Harrods when she was a 24-year-old officer. Three colleagues and three civilians died in the blast that wounded 90. Pam said: “It’s fantastic news, but I would be interested to know a timescale, a lot of us are not getting any younger. I really see this as a very positive step and I’m very pleased for Tom and I can’t wait for the moment we get there. I really want to thank the Daily Express for getting behind us, without your support we might have been waiting years for the decision.”
Political and Official Responses
Liberal Democrat MP Mr Morrison brought forward a debate in Parliament on the Injury in Service Award in November last year. “I want to pay tribute to Tom Curry, everyone at 999 Injured and Forgotten and the Daily Express. They have campaigned with incredible determination, often while living with life-changing injuries sustained keeping the rest of us safe,” he said. “These are people who ran towards danger when everyone else ran away. Many have been left with serious physical injuries, others with trauma that stays with them long after the incident itself. For too many, a career they loved was ended overnight, through no fault of their own. They have had to rebuild their lives, their finances and their sense of who they are, and all too often they have done it feeling that the service they gave so much to had simply moved on without them. The minister's letter is really encouraging, and I'm pleased the Government remains behind this. Our police officers, firefighters and paramedics who are forced to retire through injury deserve proper recognition, and I'll keep pushing until this medal becomes a reality.”
Conservative MP Mr Vickers said: “This is a major and hugely encouraging step forward in the campaign to properly recognise emergency service workers who have been forced to retire because of injuries sustained in the line of duty. Tom Curry has fought tirelessly to secure this recognition, and I’m proud to have stood alongside him throughout the campaign. The minister’s confirmation that the Honours Committee meeting was positive and that work is expected to move on to the next stage of the Injury (Retirement) Medal proposal is extremely welcome. There is still a formal process to complete, including Royal approval, so we cannot take anything for granted. But this brings us another important step closer to giving these brave men and women the recognition they deserve. I’ll continue working with Tom and colleagues across Parliament to see this through.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “It is only right that police who are injured in the line of duty are recognised in the appropriate manner. A meeting was held with campaigners in the summer, and work remains ongoing to consider the most effective and meaningful way to do this.”
