PCs Jason Tsang and Ben Reidy and PCSO Charlotte Louis De Canonville will join other officers singled out for their heroism at the Commissioner’s Commendations ceremony on 1 March

Two Brent hero cops have been singled out for praise after they braved bullets to catch a gun wielding crook and bring him to justice.

PCs Jason Tsang and Ben Reidy were on patrol one night last October in the troubled South Kilburn Estate when they spotted a suspicious looking man riding a bike.

The pair approached him, but the man peddled off before jumping off his bike and speeding off.

As the duo pursued him, the man spun around, pulled a gun out and began firing at the officers.

Recalling the moment when he had a pistol pulled on him, PC Tsang, 28, said: “There was quite a lot of trouble of the South Kilburn Estate, with a lot of gang violence, but I was really shocked. I wasn’t expecting to find a gun on him.

“When I saw him fumbling with something in his pocket I though he was looking for drugs to throw away, but then he turned and pointed a handgun in my face.

“I remember thinking, I don’t want to be shot – I want to go home tonight.”

Determined to catch the gunman, PC Tsang continued to give chase.

But then the gunman turned and fired on PC Reidy.

“He turned around and held the gun up and aimed it at PC Reidy”, says PC Tsang. “I heard a loud crack. I thought he had been shot at, but I could see he was OK. But that made me think – this man is really dangerous.”

Two more officers arrived on the scene and the gunman was wrestled to the ground and taken into custody.

PC Tsang, who has been a Brent cop for five years, said he still hasn’t told his parents about the attack in case it scares them.

He added: “It just really brought home the dangers of the job, and it made me realise that you cannot take anything for granted.”

PCSO Charlotte Louis De Canonville, 21, from Camden police has also been honoured for her work in transforming the West Hampstead Neighbourhood Watch from a beleaguered six households to a vibrant community of 138 members across three quarters of the area.

PCSO De Canonville, who joined the force when she was 21, said: “I think it is really important that people keep that spirit of knowing who your neighbours are and feeling like you belong to a community.

“It is not strictly about policing. Neighbours make each other feel safe.

“I was really surprised to hear that I had been recognised as a police hero, but it felt really good.”

PCs Jason Tsang and Ben Reidy and PCSO Charlotte Louis De Canonville will join other officers singled out for their heroism at the borough commanders commendations ceremony on 1 March where they will get awards.