Sgt Charlie Thompson has the Scouts' Bronze Cross for stopping a man setting himself alight at a Stratford petrol station. It follows a police bravery award.

A Stratford police sergeant has been given the Scouts’ highest award for gallantry. Sgt Charlie Thompson received the Bronze Cross for tackling a man who was threatening to set himself on fire inside a petrol station in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The medal is the Scouts’ highest award, according to Warwickshire Police’s announcement on 24 September. It is sometimes called the Scouts’ Victoria Cross, and it is given for “special heroism or action in the face of extraordinary risk”.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, presented it at Warwickshire Scouts’ county AGM on Wednesday 23 September.

What happened at the petrol station

The incident was in April 2025. The force’s earlier account, published in July, says a man on the forecourt had covered himself in petrol and was holding a lighter.

Sgt Thompson and a negotiation team tried to talk him down, without success. The force says the sergeant then distracted the man and tackled him to the ground. Other officers took the lighter away, and a firefighter sprayed him with foam to stop any risk of ignition.

The man “is understood to have received support and been rehoused since these events”, the force said in July.

Two awards in three months

This is the second award for the same act. Sgt Thompson was nominated for the Police Federation National Police Bravery Awards in July, and the force says he received an award there.

The Scouts link is a long one. Sgt Thompson has been a Scout volunteer for nearly fifteen years, he told the force. He is Group Chair of 1st Sydenham Scout Group, which is part of Leamington District Scouts.

“Scouting gave me the confidence to serve others long before I joined the police,” he said. “I hope this award inspires young people to challenge themselves, and perhaps to see policing and public service as a rewarding way to give back to their communities.”

Acting Chief Constable David Gardner said the sergeant was “an asset to policing and to Scouting”. Paul Wakeley, the county lead volunteer for Warwickshire Scouts, said his actions were “a powerful example of the very best values Scouting and public service”.

What it means for you

Scout groups across Warwickshire rely on adult volunteers like Sgt Thompson. If you want to help, or find a group for a child, the Scouts’ group finder lists the ones near you.

If you are struggling, or worried about someone, Samaritans answers calls day and night on 116 123, free from any phone.

For local crime figures, see our report on police activity in Stratford town centre.