SIX hero officers who were 'held at gunpoint' as part of a planned ambush on police have been recognised for their bravery on the frontline.

On December 13, 2021, PC Rachael Rance and a colleague were called to an address in High Wycombe to retrieve an evidence bag… but it soon emerged that the bag did not exist and that the man, Michael Styles, had lured the officers to the area on purpose.

When the officers arrived, they found that Styles had set fire to a bin, and as they searched for a fire extinguisher they radioed their colleagues, PC Thea Sheppard and PC Jack Jones, for help.

One of the officers found an extinguisher and, as he was putting the fire out, Styles crept up on PC Rance and pointed a gun – it was a replica but the officers did not know this - at her head and then her chest, all the time demanding she tell him personal information.

PC Rance managed to press her emergency button and shout over the radio that a man had a gun and for back-up to come quickly. Then she started to negotiate with Styles and tried to get him to back down.

Meanwhile her colleague returned, turned on his body-worn video and crouched behind the police car, ready to help PC Rance.

He said: “I moved closer to the car to make it harder for him to shoot me. He then started paying attention to me a bit, saying ‘who’s your friend'. He started moving around the car to see where I was, and I was moving to the other side, trying to keep the car in between us as a barrier.”

This enabled PC Rance to get away from Styles and join her colleague. They both ran to a nearby parade of shops and jumped over two fences, where they saw PC Sheppard and PC Jones’s car, and were able to get in and drive away.

Shortly afterwards, firearms officers PC James Sage and a colleague arrived at the scene in High Wycombe in an armed response vehicle.

PC Sage recalled: “When we arrived, the guy was sitting in the driver’s seat of the police car that PC Rance and her colleague had abandoned. He was sitting with his legs out, still in possession of the gun, waiting for our arrival.

“I think he was quite surprised to see armed police. He stood up, still with the gun in his hands, and fortunately he followed our instructions and proceeded to place the gun on top of the police car. And then we moved in and arrested him. I think the severity of what he had done sunk in quite quickly.

“It could have gone either way. The risk was right up there – he’d just pointed a firearm at an unarmed colleague.”

Styles’ case later went to court, where he was charged with possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possessing a blade in a public place.

He received a prison sentence of 30 months. PC Rance said: “I was terrified I was going to lose my life. The officers who arrived after I pressed my emergency button showed huge support and selflessness. They acted with integrity and courage, knowing they were entering a very volatile and dangerous situation.”

On being nominated for a Bravery Award, PC Sage said: “I’ve taken on a voluntary role as a firearms officer and we train to deal with incidents like this, so I was just doing my job. But at the same time I do recognise that it’s not an everyday occurrence, these incidents are very, very rare, and we’re just lucky it all ended well for everybody.”

Thames Valley Police Federation Chair Craig O’Leary said: “These six officers acted quickly to stay in communication, support each other, and deal with this dangerous man without anyone getting hurt.

“It was a stressful, fast moving and volatile incident and I commend all of them for their exemplary police work, which resulted in a conviction.

“We are very proud of them and their work. They are very worthy winners of a bravery award.”

The six officers will attend the 2024 Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards on Thursday, April 25.

At the event a winner will be announced who will travel to London for the National Police Federation Bravery Awards in July.