The one in a million fluke which wrecked a career

Shahid Mahmood was in his mid thirties when he made a brave career move. His skills as a fully qualified engineer no longer guaranteed work and being a taxi driver brought no satisfaction. He joined Greater Manchester Police[1].

It was a move which gave him purpose - helping the community in his own backyard of Bolton. But a freak incident while training with the force would change his life forever. He was taking part in riot training at GMP's Openshaw complex when an astonishing twist of fate left him blind in one eye.

He is just one of many police officers in the UK whose careers were ended by severe injury and left them with no recognition for the service they gave. His ordeal and those of several other ex-GMP officers is highlighted in a new book helping to spearhead a campaign by ex-policeman, Tom Curry, for the thousands of emergency workers from all three services who were forced to retire through injury to get the recognition they deserve. More than 90 MPs are now backing the campaign.

Shahid, now 67, is the uncle of Bolton former world boxing champion, Amir Khan, and father of ex England and Lancashire cricketer, Sajid Mahmood. He said: "I joined the force in 1994. I had always wanted to do something related to the law and thought of being a lawyer when younger.

But my dad persuaded me that engineering was the best thing and I became a fully qualified engineer. "But then I got made redundant. I moved to London, working there, but missed my family and came back to Bolton[2].

"Then I started doing anything I could. I did a bit of taxi driving, then I had the opportunity to join the force. By then I was a bit old to start studying to be a solicitor, so I opted for the police.

I was lucky enough to get assigned to K Division in Bolton and I loved the job." But in 2001 he was dealt a slice of bad luck from which he suffers to this day. "Every year you have to do a one year refresher course in riot training. One of the scenarios you had to deal with was a deranged person armed with a baseball bat.

You have to corner the person and get them to drop the weapon," recalls Shahid.

The officer playing the target for arrest had to act as if the exercise was real. "He took one shot at me with the baseball bat and my riot shield shattered. But because I had the body armour on and a helmet and all the safety gear I should have been okay. But shrapnel hit a hard part of my armour - possibly the buckle of my belt - and it shot up between my face and the visor of my helmet into my left eye, which was bad luck.

I had more chance of winning the Lottery. "I pulled back in pain and the supervisor blew a whistle to end the exercise. I was rushed to hospital.

I had a four hour operation. It was successful in the fact that it saved my eye, however it was unsuccessful in that it did not save my sight." His lense, cornea. and iris were lost and he now has to wear sunglasses even in dull overcast weather[3] as natural light causes him to have to close his eyes.

"It happened, and what can you do? I was put to work by the police in an office, which is not what I joined for. I wanted to be out and about dealing with people and helping them.

Being in an office did not suit me. I started taking a lot of time off. I was off with depression but the force wouldn't pension me off and kept asking me to give it another go.

"I couldn't bear it and eventually went on long term sickness.

They still would not retire me, saying if I could do something I had to stay." Eventually after five and a half years the force did agree to him being pensioned off. "When the accident happened I was very worried about how it would jeopardise my career in the force. My family was very supportive and kept me going.

I was very fortunate, thanks to the skill of the consultant I still have my own eye. "But the way I was treated by the force was terrible. I kept saying to them 'I am no good to you now just pension me off' and they wouldn't do that.

I struggled for a long time. "I think Tom Curry's campaign is a very good one. Once I got pensioned off no one from the force got in touch with me.

I was just a number as far as the police are concerned. When you join at the beginning at lectures they declare 'we are a family'. Families look after each other and make life easier for each other, the police certainly didn't do that.

I have nothing to show for my career, just a couple of photos.

"Tom's campaign recognises something the establishment doesn't - the number of bobbies left injured by serving the community with nothing to show for it." Shahid had to begin legal action against GMP before getting a GBP30,000 out of court settlement for damages days before the case was due to be heard. GMP say a six figure sum was paid out for Shahid's personal injury claim. But it is understood this included his salary and pension package before tax.

Shahid said: "I only got just over GBP30,000 for the loss of my eye."

In October the Manchester Evening News highlighted the case of another GMP officer, Gary Pearson. Before a hushed-up shooting changed the course of his career he had shown his mettle at the sharp end of the thin blue line.[4] Ten days before he lost his left eye when it was shot out by a Saudi royal bodyguard during a training exercise. Gary had been part of a team that arrested two men armed with a sawn-off shotgun who were about to commit a robbery on a family home.

On another occasion he single-handedly arrested a gunman who was about to rob a pub in Swinton[5]. But on November 15th, 1983 his life changed forever deep in the Kielder Forest in Northumberland close to the border with Scotland. What happened was kept a secret for seven years until he took GMP to court and received an out of court settlement and the Manchester Evening News then revealed the cover-up.

In October Gary spoke for the first time about the shooting. Tom Curry's book "Eye Shot" features Gary's case and others where GMP officers had their careers curtailed by injury - both physical and mental. Simon Bywater had already witnessed the chaos and trauma of war serving in Iraq as a Royal Marine when he joined GMP in 1991.

He recalls how he was surprised by how laid back police training felt compared to the strict regime in the Marines. His fitness with the Army served him well when faced with violent confrontations. But he admits: "The violence I witnessed daily began to affect me deeply, though like many officers of my time I pushed through, trying to switch off after long shifts.

"After facing numerous violent incidents, including an attack that shattered my nose and teeth, I persevered but felt my confidence waver. " He then took on dangerous work targeting drug dealers and recovering firearms.

He recalled: "A tragic night during a routine call changed everything. I found myself trying to save the life of a young corporal who had been stabbed. The trauma of watching the man die in my arms was overwhelming, but there was no time to process it.

I was back at work within hours, giving evidence in court, and felt no one, particularly my supervisory officers, understood or cared about the mental toll the work was taking on me." He eventually reached breaking point and quit GMP for the Cambridgeshire force. But the flashbacks continued. "I recognised that the violence and trauma I faced with GMP were as severe, if not worse than some of my experiences in a war zone.

"Yet the support for officers like me was severely lacking, leaving me and many others to bear the psychological toll of policing without help. My experience reflects a broader failure to provide essential support for those serving on the front lines of policing in GMP at the time. "I faced numerous violent situations during my time with GMP, including witnessing the murder of a soldier.

GMP never offered any form of counselling or mental health support. When I transferred to another force GMP neither inquired about my reasons for leaving or provided me with any evidence of service. Although I hold a General Service Medal from my time with the Royal Marines, I received no recognition from the police service.

This lack of acknowledgement feels like a sombre reflection of how the service regards me and so many others who were forced to retire due to medical injuries." Since her childhood Tracy Mather had wanted to be a police officer. She joined GMP in 1979.

The following year she was attacked by a young man wearing steel-toe-capped boots. She had gone to the assistance of another officer after the thug had broken his leg. "As I ran towards the youth he turned and kicked me between the legs.

The force took me off my feet. I was able to apprehend the youth. At this point I passed out from the pain in my lower area.

I came round in hospital. The kick had caused bruising to my vagina and cervix. I had pain in my lower back and hips.

"I was informed a few years later that I would probably be able to get pregnant but unable to carry to full term.

I did successfully give birth to three children but sadly lost three on the way. "After ten years of pain it was discovered that the nerves that run from the spine around your pelvis were actually trapped in the hip socket. I had an operation but was still in pain."

Tracy remains in pain. "I received no care or welfare from the police on being injured and felt abandoned. I continued to serve until 1989 when I was medically discharged. I received no recognition of my health or job sacrifice."

PC Andy Walker was responding to a 999 call to a domestic violence incident in a patrol car with a female colleague when they were hit by a drunk driver on the A6 in Stockport[6] in August 1998. A passenger in the other car died at the scene. The drunk driver was later jailed for eight and a half years; he had been three and a half times over the drink driving limit.

Andy was off work from the day of the crash and never returned. He damaged his lower spine and due to PTSD could not go near a car without having a panic attack. After he had been off work for nine months the force doctor deemed him unfit for duty despite his wish to be redeployed to use his computer skills.

He said: "When the dust settled the only contact I had was from a divisional inspector who came to collect what uniform I had and my warrant card.

That was a sad end to my (20-year) career, and I have no medal recognition to show my connection to the police service." Andrew Hutchinson joined GMP in 1991 having previously been a member of a Roman Catholic religious order. By 2006 he was a sergeant.

One day in February that year he was on mobile patrol in a marked car in Littleborough[7], Rochdale[8] when a stolen car crashed head-on into his vehicle at 70mph. Andrew said: "The 22-year-old driver of the stolen car had in his pocket a suicide letter addressed to his 16-year-old girlfriend. Within the letter he describes how intends to commit suicide by driving into something.

The male had a dislike of police officers and had decided to kill himself by means of 'suicide by cop'. A method in which you kill yourself and a police officer at the same time." Astonishingly the Crown Prosecution Service chose not to charge the offender - who survived with serious injuries - with attempted murder or grievous bodily harm.

Andrew suffered serious head and spinal injuries including a brain injury for which he still takes medication. He suffers from PTSD. "My personality changed as a result of the head injury, and I am no longer the same person I once was.

This attack left me with chronic pain and I had to take medical retirement in 2010. "I would become explosive for no reason. My neurosurgeon told me my brain had smashed against the back of my skull and then forward damaging the frontal lobe.

I now suffer from irritability, mood swings, short-term memory loss, and a sense of aggression. Each day feels like a personal battle. People see me and do not see any visible injuries and think I must be okay."

During his time with GMP Andrew received four commendations including two for bravery. John O'Rourke joined GMP as a cadet in 1979. He was injured several times while working in one of the Manchester city divisions.

In June 1985 he disarmed a gunman who tried to fire at him three times with a pistol. During the struggle he was stabbed in the hand with a screwdriver. He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery.

He later joined the Tactical Vehicle Crime Unit which targeted gangs that stole high-powered cars to perform ram raids and robberies. He was injured several times after being rammed by stolen cars including in 1999 when he was left with a shoulder injury. He returned to duty but was again rammed, suffering further injuries to the same shoulder.

He was told his injuries prevented him from continuing as a police officer. "I felt totally flat, deflated and almost useless, as all my hard work and devotion to duty was being taken away just like that," said John.

He added: "I was medically discharged in October 2001. I was months away from the 22-year eligibility point and was not awarded my Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. This deeply saddened me as I came from a police family.

Both my father and brother were serving officers and both received that medal. "I felt as though I had nothing to show for my service. I was medically discharged due to injuries sustained in the line of duty, through no fault of mine, other than being operational.

Recognition should be clearly part of the medical discharge process for operational officers who put their health on the line." One woman officer who is still serving was called to a domestic dispute in 2005. A man out of control on drugs and alcohol kicked in a glass panel in a front door.

The policewoman was standing nearby and a shard of glass struck her in the eye. She was taken to hospital but lost her eye. Twenty years later she continues to serve.

In two years time she will have completed 30 years service and leave with a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal but nothing in recognition of her health sacrifice. Tom Curry said: "All these maimed former officers are the subject of my campaign because having had their careers cut short only due to their injuries and thus deprived of reaching the eligibility period to receive their 'Long Service & Good Conduct Medal', they therefore have nothing to show even a connection to the service let alone their health and job sacrifice. "However, many came close to paying the ultimate sacrifice BUT if they had died then they would be eligible to receive the recently approved posthumous 'Elizabeth Emblem.'

"How can we allow this shocking situation to remain unchallenged? This scandalous overlooking is a national disgrace and my campaign seeks to correct that shame and recognise these forgotten brave men and women. This also applies to all emergency service personnel who are also included in my campaign."

Matt Vickers Shadow Minister for Policing told the Manchester Evening News: "It is only right that we recognise and thank the police officers, police community support officers, special constables and police staff across the country who work day and night to keep us and our constituents safe - that's why the last Conservative government stood with stood with our brave police officers and emergency service workers, introducing tougher sentences for those who assaulted them. We introduced the Elizabeth Medal to recognise those who lost their lives in the line of duty on the front line - and then began the important work to recognise those who were discharged from service as a result of injuries on the frontline.

"I continue to be fully supportive of Tom Curry's campaign and just the other week I asked the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, if she would continue to build upon the work that the last Government did - and I will be paying close attention to the Government's next steps and hopefully, help deliver on Tom's campaign."

A spokesperson from Greater Manchester Police said: "We understand the devastating impact on officers who sustain life-changing injuries while on duty.

Our priority is to ensure they receive the best welfare and support from the force, and substantial changes have been made to policing around the provision of welfare for officers and staff."

References

1. ^ Greater Manchester Police (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^ Bolton (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
3. ^ weather (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
4. ^ Before a hushed-up shooting changed the course of his career he had shown his mettle at the sharp end of the thin blue line. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
5. ^ Swinton (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
6. ^ Stockport (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
7. ^ Littleborough (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
8. ^ Rochdale (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)