Praise for 'heroic' off-duty officer stabbed as he tried to stop a Luton robbery - as brothers plead guilty to attack

The brave PC, who works for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) but does not wish to be named, stepped in as Hannan and Humar Mahmood brandished machetes.

The pair were robbing an electric bike on the ramp outside Luton Point on November 2, as shocked bystanders looked on.

The officer, who was with his wife, stood in the way of the masked duo as they attempted to make off on the stolen vehicle.

He identified himself as a police officer and tried to use nearby plastic barriers to bring them to a stop. But instead, they attacked him, injuring his arms and chest.

Hannan, 20, and Humar, 18, both of Belmont Road, Luton, were tracked following extensive inquiries by Bedfordshire Police and the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

At Luton Crown Court today (Monday, April 14), they pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving, having previously pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of offensive weapons.

Detective Inspector Caeva Taylor from the Major Crime Unit said: “The Mahmood brothers showed utter disregard for the lives of those around them, robbing an innocent victim, waving around a dangerous weapon and erratically driving an electric bike in a pedestrian area on a busy Saturday afternoon. They were willing to risk killing an off-duty police officer in order to make their getaway.

“The brazen violence they showed has no place on the streets of Bedfordshire and I am thankful that the overwhelming evidence in the case against them has resulted in guilty pleas today.”

Deputy Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic said: “We owe a debt of gratitude to our colleague in the police service. Without his heroic and selfless intervention, other innocent people may have come to serious harm and the dangerous Mahmood brothers may have been able to continue their criminal spree.

“Police officers like him put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect the public. We are all thankful that this PC was able to recover from his injuries and continues to serve the public in the Met. On behalf of the public of Bedfordshire and our force, I thank him sincerely for his bravery.”

Hannan and Humar Mahmood will be sentenced on Monday, June 23.