Officer tells of knife horror
BRITAIN FACES COLDEST WINTER EVER
SNOW JOKE: Serious weather on way
From Page 1 could be about to experience the coldest winter ever on record as the mercury plummets by 15C this week.
The Met Office and Public Health England have issued a level-2 “alert and readiness” warning as the harsh conditions
THE hero cop stabbed tackling a terror suspect at a railway station said “instinct took over” as he ran towards the knifeman.
Sgt Lee Valentine was one of three people hurt at Manchester’s Victoria Station on New Year’s Eve.
A 25-year-old man was last night being held in a secure psychiatric unit after being detained under the Mental Health Act while a police counter-terrorism probe continued.
Sgt Valentine, who is recovering at home after receiving hospital treatment for a stab wound to his shoulder, said: “The past 48 put the elderly, sick and very young at risk.
Meteorologist Helen Roberts said: “It is going to feel noticeably colder as we go through the week.
“We expect fairly widespread frosts, freezing fog and very chilly temperatures especially ® hours have been overwhelming. My team and I are grateful to everyone who sent in messages of support.
“It really does mean the world to us. “We had no idea what we were running towards when we heard the screams on New Year’s Eve.
“When we saw the man wielding a knife instinct took over and we were able to, in company with travel safe officers from Metrolink, successfully detain the male.”
British Transport Police Chief Constable Paul Crowther praised the bravery of Sgt Valentine and three of his colleagues who confronted the attacker with Tasers and pepper spray.
Mr Crowther said Sgt Valentine was very lucky. He added: “He’s got a nasty injury but he could have been much, much worse.
“He very much feels that it was a team effort and everybody was in this together.”
Sgt Valentine was on patrol at the station – near the Manchester Arena which was targeted by a suicide bomber in 2017 – when a knifeman attacked a couple in their 50s.
They suffered multiple stab wounds which are serious but not life-threatening.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “The man has made some good progress and is expected to be released in the next day or so. His partner is also making progress but is expected to be in hospital for longer.”
In a statement, the suspect’s family said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were seriously injured, their families and friends.
“We are also eternally grateful for the swift response from the emergency services.”
Forum: Page 24 in the breeze. Temperatures in the north will struggle to get much above freezing, while elsewhere they will generally hover in single figures.”
Windchill charts show “feelslike” temperatures of -10C will be evident across parts of central England by the weekend, with widespread lows of between -5C and -7C.
The Beast From The East ground Britain to a standstill at the start of last year and this time it could be even worse.
Bookies Ladbrokes has it oddson at 4-5 that this winter is the coldest on record.