Swindon officer honoured for using bare hands to save woman on fire at shopping centre
PC Elliot Alvis and his colleagues have been commended for their bravery
A police officer who used his bare hands to help save a woman who had set herself on fire has been recognised for his bravery.
PC Elliot Alvis was one of several officers who responded to reports of a distressed woman on the roof of the Orbital Shopping Centre in Swindon on 9th January 2026.
When officers arrived, the woman, who had already been reported as a high-risk missing person, fled and doused herself in a flammable liquid before deliberately setting herself alight.
Officers acted "on instinct"
Elliot described how the woman ran in front of his police vehicle and "suddenly went up in flames".
He immediately helped a colleague to extinguish the fire, using his bare hands to pat down the flames as they spread across her body.
Elliot also helped remove her badly burned clothing and gave first aid for her serious injuries until paramedics arrived.
Elliot said: "There wasn't any time to think, I just acted on instinct to save her life and I'm sure that any of my colleagues would have done the exact same thing."
The incident happened at a busy shopping centre in the middle of the day, requiring officers to manage extreme risk to themselves while also protecting members of the public.
Commendation award
Elliot and his colleagues received a Commendation award at the recent Force Awards held at Wiltshire Police Headquarters in Devizes.
They were told that, had it not been for their rapid, decisive and selfless intervention, the outcome could have been catastrophic.
The officers were also nominated for the national Police Federation Bravery Awards.
"I really enjoy my job"
Elliot had always wanted to join the police.
His father was a police officer, and he said it seemed like the right career for him.
Elliot said: "It seemed like an exciting career and meant I could be out and about rather than sitting in an office somewhere.
"I really enjoy my job and being able to make a positive difference to someone's life, or help achieve a positive outcome for them, motivates me to keep putting in the effort."