New year honours: Police officer who 'rugby tackled' Westminster attacker among emergency service members recognised by Queen

Total of 43 people across the police, emergency services and Home Office recognised for acts following five attacks in 2017

PC Nick Carlisle was one of the unarmed Metropolitan Police officers posted at gates outside the Houses of Parliament when Khalid Masood burst through with a knife (AP)

A police officer who tried to “rugby tackle” the Westminster attacker is among members of the emergency services who have been named in the new year honours as dozens of people who responded to terrorist atrocities were recognised by the Queen.

A total of 43 people across the police, emergency services and Home Office were recognised for their acts following the five attacks that struck London and Manchester in 2017.

Also among the 1,148 people honoured were three divers involved in the dramatic Thai cave rescue.

Divers Joshua Bratchley, Lance Corporal Connor Roe and Vernon Unsworth, who is suing Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk for labelling him a “pedo guy”, were made MBEs, while four other British cave divers involved in the operation received civilian gallantry awards.

Following a nationwide rise in violence, two men leading the fightback against knife crime and gang violence in London were also honoured.

They are among 70 per cent of awards going to people who have undertaken outstanding work in their local community

PC Nick Carlisle was one of the unarmed Metropolitan Police officers posted at gates outside the Houses of Parliament when Khalid Masood burst through with a knife and started stabbing his colleague.

“I ran forward intending to issue a rugby tackle,” he told an inquest. “He came at me with knives up. I was very close.”

The distraction gave PC Keith Palmer time to get up and run as PC Carlisle shouted for armed support, the inquest heard, but he collapsed metres away and died at the scene of his injuries.

It was the first of five terror attacks that struck London and Manchester in 2017, leaving 36 victims dead.

PC Carlisle, awarded the Queen’s Police Medal, was one of several Metropolitan Police officers recognised over the Westminster, London Bridge and Finsbury Park attacks.

Several were awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM), including PC Andy Dunmore who gave CPR to Masood after he was shot and covered PC Palmer’s body with a blanket “to preserve his dignity”.

Five Greater Manchester Police officers and staff were recognised for their work following the suicide bombing that killed 22 people leaving a concert in May 2017.

Det Ch Insp Teresa Lam, who received a BEM for services to policing, was responsible for liaising with victims’ families and said: “I will never forget those who have suffered and to whom I remain dedicated to continue to support.”

One of the first officers on the scene of the bombing and a forensic scientist were also honoured alongside Colin Kelsey OBE, who led the NHS response to the Manchester Arena attack.

Dr Malik Ramadhan, who operated through the night on 12 victims of the London Bridge attack, was made an OBE for services to healthcare.

Paul Woodrow, operations director for the London Ambulance Service, was made an OBE for his role in organising care for victims of the terror attacks in London and the Grenfell Tower fire.

Peter Boorman, the NHS lead for emergency and preparedness in London, received the same honour after helping to deal with the fallout from the Westminster and London Bridge attacks, the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and the Wannacry cyberattack.

The Queen’s honours also paid tribute to senior police officers and officers responding to the rising threat of terrorism in Britain.

Metropolitan Police Det Supt Mark Gower, a counterterror senior investigating officer who led the UK’s response to the Sousse attack that killed 30 British citizens, was made an OBE.

He also commanded the response to the Finsbury Park attack, where far-right extremist Darren Osborne deliberately drove a van into Muslims, and the attempted Parsons Green bombing.

Acting Det Sgt Zac Idun was made an OBE for leading liaison with families whose loved ones were killed in last year’s London attacks.

“I have been truly humbled by the sheer courage and strength of the families and survivors we have assisted,” he said. “I remain in awe of the many people we have supported who have suffered but survived the loss of the people dearest to them with both dignity and bravery. Also those who assisted investigations having witnessed traumatic events.”

As well as supporting bereaved relatives in the aftermath of atrocities, family liaison investigate the circumstances in which victims were killed and interview the relatives of attackers to piece together events for inquests.

“We help people get as much information as possible as how their loved one died and why, and even where there are issues about whether it’s preventable they get a chance to air their grievances which other countries don’t have,” Det Sgt Idun told The Independent.

Susan Jane Hemming, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s counterterror division was made an OBE as was the Home Office’s head of chemical weapons protection, Anne-Marie Fry, after the Salisbury attack.

A total of 1,148 people have received an award – of more than 2,000 nominated – of which 47 per cent are women, 12 per cent are from an ethnic minority background and 4 per cent consider themselves to have a disability.

Famous recipients include a damehood for model, actress and singer Twiggy (real name Lesley Lawson) and knighthoods for former England cricket captain Alastair Cook and award-winning author Philip Pullman.

There were CBEs for actor Sophie Okonedo, classical violinist Nicola Benedetti and children’s author Julia Donaldson; OBEs for Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and England football manager Gareth Southgate; and an MBE for captain Harry Kane.