Steve Uncles is the prospective English Democrats candidate in the 2014 European Elections for the South East ;
Steve Uncles, prospective lead candidate for the English Democrats for South East England in the European Elections, will receive a commendation award at a special ceremony at New Scotland Yard on 25 March 2014.
Mr Uncles led the public in physically tackling an armed robber who was fleeing an attempted robbery of Barclays Bank in Borough High St, Southwark on Thursday 25 July, last year.
In the events that followed, the robber, Al-Fodday Fofanah, was chased and apprehended by a police officer, a trainee ambulance driver, two roofers, a Contract Manager, two security officers and an ice cream vendor.
On Wednesday 15th January Fofanah pleaded guilty to two offences and is to be sentenced shortly.
Al-Fodday Fofanah, who was on day release from prison, arrived at the bank that afternoon and joined the queue. He was carrying a large bag and concealed his face with a sheet of paper.
In a twist of fate the customer in front of Fofanah was an off duty police officer, Commander Hanstock from the Safer Transport Command.
On reaching his turn to be served Fofanah pulled a stocking over his face and took an assault rifle from the bag and aimed it at the cashier whilst demanding money. Frightened and fearing for their lives a number of customers in the bank ran out into the street. The cashier dived behind the counter as Fofanah waived the weapon at the other cashiers again demanding cash.
When Fofanah realised no money was forthcoming he walked out of the bank with the gun in the bag. Commander Hanstock, who had already left the bank, was confronted with the fleeing suspect and he tried to call for police assistance.
The Commander, along with the bank’s Assistant Manager, Dean Smith, and Michael Duncan, a trainee Ambulance driver, followed the suspect along Borough High Street. Whilst following him they saw a transit van driven by John Girton – a roofer. He mounted the pavement and pulled up in front of Fofanah. Mr Girton and his colleague Errol Gray had witnessed Fofanah leaving the bank and presumed it was a terrorist incident and decided to apprehend him.
The van knocked Fofanah down and he was forced to flee down a nearby alleyway. As he ran off he aimed the gun at the van. Mr Girton and Mr Gray got out of their vehicle and followed the suspect through a series of alleys and walkways into St Thomas Street.
An ice cream vendor who was parked in St Thomas Street saw Fofanah being chased by the two men. As Fofanah attempted to flee he was knocked to the ground by Steve Uncles with a rugby tackle. Fofanah got up, took the rifle from the bag and waived it around at waist height at Steve Uncles to warn-off his tackler. The ice cream vendor left his van and chased Fofanah into Great Maze Pond.
A security manager at Guy’s Hospital was patrolling in the area when he saw the Fofanah being chased at this point by the ice cream vendor and Daniel Simons – a security officer also at the hospital.
The security manager blocked Fofanah’s path at which he took the rifle out of the bag again. The security manager grabbed the barrel and pointed it at the ground and pushed Fofanah back onto some railings. At this point he was joined by the ice vendor and Mr Simons who assisted him in detaining him. The three men were able to disarm Fofanah and held him on the ground until police arrived on scene to arrest him.
Upon examination, the weapon was found to be a deactivated assault rifle, classified as an imitation firearm.
Steve Uncles, said: “I saw a coloured man, running away from a security guard, but towards me. I made an instant decision to help out and, being an ex-rugby player, I took the man down with a rugby tackle. The security guard jumped onto Fofanah, but the robber was able to remove his assault rifle from his plastic bag, and point it directly at me!
“It is immensely pleasing that so many members of the public got involved to apprehend this man.”