A HERO police officer paid tribute to colleagues after meeting the Prime Minister at a national bravery awards ceremony.

Sergeant Dave Stroud said he felt ‘proud and humbled’ to be in the company of brave officers at the Police Federation ceremony in London.

Sgt Stroud said not winning didn’t bother him and he was just delighted to be nominated after tackling a knifeman in Weymouth town centre.

He said: “Being at the ceremony and hearing of various heroic deeds made me feel proud to be a police officer.

“I was very grateful to be nominated and felt proud to be representing Dorset Police.”

Sgt Stroud, who works in the road policing department based at Dorchester, travelled to London with wife Rhiannon, also a traffic officer.

They were given a tour of the House of Commons by South Dorset MP Richard Drax and attended a reception at 10 Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron before heading to the Dorchester Hotel for the National Police Bravery Awards ceremony.

Sgt Stroud was accompanied by the person who nominated him, Dorset Police Federation chairman Clive Chamberlain, and Dorset Police Chief Constable Martin Baker.

Also at the ceremony were Mr Cameron, Home Secretary Theresa May and personalities from TV and the media including Moira Stewart and Dennis Waterman.

Dad-of-two Sgt Stroud, 43, was on leave and out shopping when he took on an armed attacker in December 2008.

He sustained deep cuts to two of his fingers that have left him permanently scarred and he has lost sensation in his fingers because of nerve damage.

Sgt Stroud: “It was really good of Richard Drax to show us around Parliament, it was a fascinating tour.

“Later at the ceremony it was amazing to hear about all the other exploits.

“The deserved winners were a group of officers from the Metropolitan Police who chased a suspect who was armed with a gun and stopped to fire at them.”

Mr Drax described Sgt Stroud’s intervention as an ‘extreme act of courage and selflessness.”

He added: “We owe officers like Sergeant Stroud a huge debt of thanks. His dedication and courage were extraordinary.”