Officer saves Derby County fan's life at Blackburn station (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Business Awards

East Lancashire's premier business event. More »

Contact the Telegraph

Send us your news tips, photos and videos Text LT and your message to 80360 or click here for more ways to contact us »

News RSS Feed

REGISTER NOW TO POST YOUR COMMENTS ON THESE STORIES

It's free and only takes a few seconds. Click here to go to the registration page.

Officer saves Derby County fan's life at Blackburn station

10:13pm Sunday 4th May 2008

comment Comments (25) Have your say »

By Catherine Pye »

A POLICE officer saved the life of a drunken football fan by dragging him from the path of a train with seconds to spare.

"I thought he was a goner", said Sergeant David Grant as he told of the dramatic weekend rescue.

Sgt Grant was on duty on platform four at Blackburn train station at 6.30pm on Saturday monitoring crowds of football fans heading home from the Blackburn Rovers and Derby County match.

He said he looked towards the tunnel under Cicely Lane and saw the man 'staggering' along the track with the train approaching.

Sgt Grant, who is based at Preston and regularly covers football matches across Lancashire, set off running alongside the track to try and rescue him.

He said: "I ran quite a distance to the tunnel.

"I really thought I was witnessing someone being killed.

"As I got closer to him I couldn't weigh up what would happen if I shouted.

"I didn't know if it would make him run further into the path of the train or if he would stop.

"I shouted 'Get off the track!' and luckily he turned round.

"I grabbed him on the arm and pulled him off the track 10 seconds before the train arrived."

Sgt Grant said the man did not "fully appreciate" the danger he had been in.

He said: "Because he had been staggering I suspected he was under the influence of alcohol and it turned out he was.

"When I arrested him, he said: 'I was just looking for somewhere to sleep'."

Sgt Grant, 42, who is from British Transport Police, said he was "not a hero at all".

He added: "I was running alongside the track, not on it, so I wasn't worried that I'd get hurt.

"In my job I have to be aware of my own safety.

"It was one of those things. You come across situations and deal with them."

Sgt Grant is about to transfer from Preston to Lancaster BTP station.

The 19-year-old man from Derby was arrested and later given a £50 fixed penalty notice for trespassing on a railway.

Print article » Email to a friend »

Your Say YourTelegraph

Mike, Blackpool says...
12:00am Mon 5 May 08

10 seconds is quite a long time in relevent terms. Had it been 1 or 2, it would have sounded more death defying.

I think arresting him after all that was a bit much.

Report this post »

MIKEOXLONG, says...
1:21am Mon 5 May 08

Mike wrote:
10 seconds is quite a long time in relevent terms. Had it been 1 or 2, it would have sounded more death defying. I think arresting him after all that was a bit much.

So we should just let drunken F***wits like this wander over train tracks putting other people in danger aswel ? This Sergeant is a hero, when was the last time YOU did something as brave as that?

Report this post »

egghead, accrington says...
2:19am Mon 5 May 08

well done sgt grant you are a hero that man owes you his life

Report this post »

leston, says...
5:10am Mon 5 May 08

well done sgt.nice to see the police doing something right for once.well done.

Report this post »

roversok, home says...
7:03am Mon 5 May 08

No mention of the 3 points and £60 fine!

Report this post »

Wize 1, says...
11:19am Mon 5 May 08

roversok wrote:
No mention of the 3 points and £60 fine!

IF you read carefully, numbnutz, you'll see it says he was given a £50 fixed penalty notice for trespassing on a railway, not an endorsable fixed penalty for a driving offence!!!

Report this post »

onlyonesimongarner, says...
1:01pm Mon 5 May 08

Ther must be a few around Derby and Leicester that feel like throwing themselves un a train.

Serioulsy though. Well done Sgt Grant, You saved a lot of cleaning up.

Report this post »

Old Git, Sunny Darwen says...
1:37pm Mon 5 May 08

Mike wrote:
10 seconds is quite a long time in relevent terms. Had it been 1 or 2, it would have sounded more death defying. I think arresting him after all that was a bit much.

What a numpty head mike is, well done Sgt Grant.But dont risk your life to save others.

Report this post »

Teresa, Darwen says...
4:33pm Mon 5 May 08

Well done sgt Grant. Not many would have done what you did. I hope you get a commendation.

Report this post »

Bob, surrey says...
5:32pm Mon 5 May 08

I am a police officer in London and It will be Prestons lose and Lancasters gain to have such a brave officer working in my home town. I will endeavour to meet this man and shake his hand.

Report this post »

Bobby Ball, St Helens says...
1:55pm Tue 6 May 08

He's nearly got as many points as his team this season!!

Report this post »

john, blackburn says...
5:29pm Tue 6 May 08

mike,i like your sense of humour!

Report this post »

Nathan Tyson, nottingham says...
6:07pm Tue 6 May 08

Sheep sheep sheep shagger Sheep sheep sheep shagger!! Bring on the Derby Bring on the Derby

Report this post »

dean, crich says...
10:14pm Tue 6 May 08

i saw the incident and he kept shouting is dean on the track?, the boy is a menace he clearly pyschiatric help. well done sgt. grant you are my hero i love you.

Report this post »

vicky waiton, normanton says...
10:32pm Tue 6 May 08

i know the man in question, he has always been a wierd sort and gets a kick out of need death experiences

Report this post »

Chris Cecil, Nottingham says...
11:30pm Tue 6 May 08

I also know the man in question, ever since ive known the boy he has taken weirdly to alcohol, at first i thought the whole thing was a laugh but after reading this i realise it was a quite serious matter, bit harsh fining him £50 though, he hasnt got a lot of money. He always used to have model trains in his room as a boy. His facination grows every day. I blaim james crossland because he should have looked after him better.

Report this post »

joe kay, wirksworth says...
5:03pm Wed 7 May 08

i went to school with this young thug he traumatised me for years, this school bully deserves evrything thats coming to him.

Report this post »

Louise Finney, Cromford says...
5:10pm Wed 7 May 08

I know the man in question and in honesty I think sgt. grant would have bettr off leaving this little rotter to carry on playing silly buggars on the train tracks by himself. A bully at school, made 10 years of my life hell. Nothing but a troublesome youth. Well done sgt grant, you did well. Shame idiots like this put your life at risk.

Report this post »

Alistair Ambrose, Bonsill says...
5:11pm Wed 7 May 08

Wheres Dean

Report this post »

Stuart Pearce, NOTTINGHAM NOTTINGHAM NOTTINGHAM says...
5:34pm Wed 7 May 08

For my birthday, when I was a boy my father bought me a brand new toy. A Derby fan on a piece of string, and all I could do was Kick his head in.

Report this post »

gaz, derby says...
6:12pm Wed 7 May 08

reading from the comments, obviously the boy needs help. But lets not take away the behaviour and the atmosphere created by the 4,000 + derby fans at blackburn.plenty in drink, plenty to party.we will be back. P.S.sorry for the stupid comments from our rivals up the a52. what goes round comes round. good look in europe blackburn.

Report this post »

Dan, says...
9:50pm Wed 7 May 08

it was a good thing to do but where was the bravery? like he said, he didnt run on the tracks to push him to safety!

Report this post »

Colin Smith, Wirksworth says...
10:54pm Wed 7 May 08

Look its simple, the lad thought he'd seen a Pikachu and tried to catch it, hes clearly a more commited Pokemon catcher than the rest of you!

Report this post »

Ian Woan, NG2 says...
11:20pm Wed 7 May 08

gaz wrote:
reading from the comments, obviously the boy needs help. But lets not take away the behaviour and the atmosphere created by the 4,000 + derby fans at blackburn.plenty in drink, plenty to party.we will be back. P.S.sorry for the stupid comments from our rivals up the a52. what goes round comes round. good look in europe blackburn.

You need help you D**by joke. You won't be back you fecking moron. Jammed promotion last year and now you've been found out for the chancers that you are. WE 8 DERBY OH WE 8 DERBY WE 8 DERBY OH WE 8 DERBY WE 8 DERBY OH WE 8 DERBY WE ARE THE DERBY HATERS. SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHAGGERS BAAAAAAAAAAH

Report this post »

Budgie, Christchurch says...
7:17am Sat 17 May 08

Sadly, I visited Blackburn, , once and the pit made me like killing myself.
Blackburn you are a twin of Pakistan.

Report this post »

Your sayYourTelegraph

comment Add your comment

Register for a FREE Lancashire Telegraph account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.

Please register now or sign in below to continue.