Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s representative at the 2025 national Police Bravery Awards has come in for praise from branch chair Liz Groom ahead of the event.
The annual awards ceremony celebrating exceptional acts of courage from officers across England and Wales is set to be held in London on Thursday (10 July).
Among the nominees present will be PC Eden McClymont, who was just a year into her policing career when she single-handedly detained a violent shoplifter until back-up could complete an arrest at a Co-op store in Peterborough last October.
After Eden challenged a man who had been caught putting items into his pockets on the shop’s CCTV, the situation quickly escalated from full compliance to aggressive resistance.
As she went to thwart an attempt from the offender to evade her, Eden became subject to a flurry of violence, including at least 10 blows to the face and head, which injured her left eye.
Scratching, drawing blood from her forehead, and verbal abuse were also part of this attack, and Eden’s job was made even more difficult when the emergency button on her radio wouldn’t activate.
But incredibly, the student officer contained him for nearly half an hour, eventually using her PAVA spray to bring him under control before colleagues arrived after shop staff dialled 999 themselves.
The man was later jailed for both the assault and shoplifting offences. You can read a more detailed account of the incident from Eden here.
Liz said: “I would like to congratulate Eden once again on her nomination and wish her the best of luck for the Bravery Awards ceremony this week.
“Everyone at Cambridgeshire Police Federation remains very proud of her and everything she showed in difficult and demanding circumstances on that day last year.
“To hold your ground in such a high-pressure and potentially very distressing situation, without any physical support, takes true bravery and strength, and this is made even more impressive by the fact that it came at the beginning of her career.
“Her calm thinking and determination ensured a dangerous offender was taken out of the community, and this is the kind of service to the public policing is all about – and that only happens with outstanding officers like Eden.”
Eden is set to attend the Bravery Awards alongside partner – and Force colleague – PC Matthew Smith.