London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 21, 2026

Queen honours those who lost lives saving others

Queen honours those who lost lives saving others

A climber who died shielding his wife from a rockfall and a mother who protected her child from a house fire are to be posthumously honoured for their bravery by the Queen.

Andrew Foster, who was killed whilst on a camping trip in the US in 2017, is to be awarded a Queen's Gallantry Medal.

'Devoted' mother Leanne Collopy, who died two years ago, will receive the Queen's Commendation for Bravery.

They are among seven individuals to receive honours this month.

All have been included on this year's Civilian Gallantry List, which recognises acts of bravery by civilians and military personnel "not in the face of the enemy".

Nominations are considered by the George Cross Committee, which advises the Queen.

Mr Foster, 32, who lived in Cardiff, was walking with his wife, Lucy, in Yosemite National Park in California, when they were caught in a 1,000 tonne rockfall.

When Mrs Foster lost her footing, her husband ran back and lay on top of her to protect her from the falling rocks, which were reportedly the size of cars.

Mr Foster suffered fatal injuries, but his wife was rescued and made a full recovery.

Ms Collopy was subject to a sustained, brutal attack by her former partner, Saleem Said, in July 2017.

Said had come to the home where she lived with their two-year-old daughter, in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, armed with a kitchen knife.

There, he stabbed Ms Collopy in the head and body and doused her in petrol, before setting fire to the house.

Police found her child in wet clothing, with the window open, suggesting Ms Collopy had been trying to get her daughter out to safety.

Both were rescued by officers but Ms Collopy died in hospital from her injuries.

Her family said they were "immensely proud and honoured that Leanne's final actions as a devoted mum have been acknowledged in such a way".

PC Mark Fletcher, of Lancashire Police, also receives the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for his role in pulling Ms Collopy, her daughter and Said from the fire.

Said was later jailed for life for murder and arson with intent to endanger life.

'Incredibly honoured'


Luke Ridley, who pulled a driver from a burning car on the A303 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in November last year, will also receive the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

Mr Ridley, who had seen the vehicle veer off the road, cut the driver's seatbelt and dragged her to safety through the rear of the car.

The woman was uninjured, but attending officers said if Mr Ridley had not acted she would have died - the car was engulfed in flames two minutes after they arrived at the scene.

Mr Ridley said he was "incredibly honoured" to receive the award.

"It's a wonderful feeling to know that I saved a life and that people have found my actions to be worthy of recognition," he added.

Kieran Doble receives the same award for intercepting an armed man who entered the family home in Bournemouth in August 2018, intent on killing his mother.

Mr Doble suffered knife wounds to his chest, arm, chin and neck as he fought off the attacker.

Two police officers with Nottinghamshire Police, Sergeant Matthew Daley and Temporary Sergeant Jodi Leonardi, are also being given the Queen's Commendation for Bravery, for disarming a man holding a handgun, while a care home was evacuated during a fire in October last year.


Climber saved wife in 'last act of love'

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
Ministry of Defence Prepares Heat Pump Subsidy Cuts to Fund Urgent Military Modernization
British and European Union Officials Schedule Long-Awaited Bilateral Leaders Summit for November Twentieth
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Urges Strict Fiscal Credibility to Protect British Bond Markets
United Kingdom Inflation Rises to Three Point One Percent Driven by Escalating Fuel Costs
Profit Warnings Among London-Listed Companies Reach Two-Year High Amid Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Signals Targeted Tax Changes on Banks and London Corporate Offices Ahead of Budget
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
×