DC STEPHEN OAKE AND THE GEORGE CROSS

Motion Text

That this House pays tribute to Detective Constable Stephen Oake of Poynton in the Macclesfield constituency, who was fatally stabbed whilst on operational duty with Greater Manchester Police during an anti-terrorist raid on a flat in Manchester on 14th January 2003; deeply regrets that the Cabinet Office's George Cross Committee has decided not to recommend DC Stephen Oake posthumously to receive the George Cross in recognition of his bravery whilst protecting fellow officers during the incident; notes that the George Cross is the highest award for acts of conspicuous gallantry performed by men or women when not in the face of the enemy; and recognises that this decision will have been received with disappointment and sadness by DC Stephen Oake's family and his many police colleagues and friends in the village where he lived.