Former soldier rescues police officer from mob and Rangers fan from canal

May 18 2008 By Norman Silvester

Madness In Manchester: The Hero And Villains Ex-Soldier Rescues Cop From Mob And Gers Fan From Canal

A HEROIC former soldier revealed yesterday how he rescued a policeman from a mob of rampaging hooligans in the UEFA Cup Final riot.

Tony Bardsley waded into the thugs who were putting the boot into PC Mick Regan as he lay in the street in Manchester after being separated from his unit.

The father-of-one braved a hail of missiles to drag the officer to the safety of a police van.

Minutes later, Tony, 23, helped save a Rangers fan from drowning in a canal and carried an unconscious man to an ambulance.

PC Regan was attacked by a 20- strong gang of Rangers fans in shocking scenes caught on CCTV.

The violence marred last Wednesday's match against Zenit St Petersburg.

Tony, a restaurant manager who served in 26 Engineer Regiment, branded the mob a "pack of wolves who had not been fed for days" and claimed the violence was worse than anything he has seen in war zones.

Tony said: "I saw the man running towards him who was aiming to give him a kick and I gave him a hard nudge and clobbered him.

"I then grabbed the policeman by his collar and dragged him away and threw him into a police van.

"As I pulled him away I told him that I was a British Army medic to reassure him."

Tony had just left an internet cafe in Newton Street when he saw a group of 200 thugs charge a unit of seven cops.

PC Regan tried to stand his ground but was split up from his colleagues.

Tony said: "I knew that if no one was going to get him he wasn't going to make it.

"I thought 'sod it.' I did not care that bottles and bricks were being thrown at me. The adrenalin just kicked in."

Soon after, Tony, of Openshaw, Greater Manchester, helped emergency workers save the fan from the canal by tying a rope around a post.

Then he spotted the arm of an unconscious man poking out from underneath a pile of rubbish.

He put the man over his shoulder and carried him 150 yards to an ambulance.

Even then, his exploits of the night were not finished.

He came across looters stealing jackets and helmets from a police riot van and chased them away.

Tony has already been thanked by a senior police officer. He said: "My ambition is towork in either the ambulance service or the police force.

The superintendent told me if I ever applied in his area he would give me a job straight away."

PC Regan said yesterday his rescuer deserved a medal and that he would buy him a few beers if they meet up.

He said: "When I got up and ran off, I saw two lads coming towards me. I thought 'If they stop me, I'm in trouble' because I was winded.

"One tried to kick me. One of them shouted at me saying 'I'm British Army, I'm a medic'.

"He grabbed me by the collar and he propelled me up the street. Then one of our vans came round the corner, he threw me in the back of it and off he went. Thank God."

Tony, who suffered a cut on his face as a bottle smashed on the policeman's body armour, is looking forward to meeting PC Regan.

He added: "I was a bit scared but if I was going to get caught I was not going to go down without a fight.

"It was a very dangerous situation and I amnot surprised that the police were withdrawing. The next day the city centre looked like Basra."

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