Staring down the barrel of a gun, off-duty police officers who tackled gem raiders

TWO off-duty police officers who risked their lives tackling four robbers armed with a shotgun are to receive bravery awards.

Sgt Iain McIvor was in a pub celebrating his promotion with Sgt David Wilson when they heard screams from a jewellers and ran to the scene where they confronted the masked gang.

CCTV captured the unarmed officers heroically challenging the raiders despite having the shotgun pointed straight at them.

One robber pumped the barrel and yelled, ‘Get back or I’ll shoot’ as his accomplices rushed out with around £250,000 worth of watches and jewellery from the Andrew Michaels shop in Newark, Nottinghamshire, in January last year.

Sgt McIvor grabbed the man in a bearhug and tried to wrestle the gun from him but the robber managed to get into the getaway car. It took off, dragging Sgt McIvor almost 60ft before he was thrown clear. The gang were later arrested and jailed.

The Police Federation, which nominated the Lincolnshire officers for a national bravery award, said their heroic decision to act in the face of incredible danger was ‘in the finest traditions of the British police service’.

Sheer courage: The two off-duty officers have only their hands to protect them from the gang’s shotgun and hammer Struggle: The gang fled but were later held