A have-a-go hero street warden has been recognised for his bravery in tackling a thug who punched a woman to the ground in Broad Street.
Saghir Ahmed was on patrol outside Pushkar restaurant in the early hours when he spotted a woman, in her mid-20s, who appeared to the worse for wear.
But before Saghir could ask if she needed help, a man approached her from the opposite direction and hit her without warning, knocking her unconscious to the floor.
Saghir rugby-tackled the attacker, forcing him to the ground before police arrived to arrest him.
Westside BID has now officially recognised the 35-year-old warden for his actions by rewarding him with a gift voucher, presented by BID chairman Dipesh Mistry.
Saghir, who works for Euroguard Security as well as being a BID warden, said: “Nobody should be treating a woman like that, so I didn’t think twice about tackling him.”
Saghir described the incident, which happened at about 1.15am on Saturday 30 November.
He said: “The female seemed to be quite drunk and our approach if someone is vulnerable is to keep any eye on them, make sure they get into the right taxi to get home, or help them meet up with friends.
“But a man just walked straight up to her and thumped her once in the face, knocking her to the ground.
“As soon as I got alongside I got him in a rugby tackle and pushed him into the railings and forced him to the ground.”
Saghir held the assailant down with one hand and radioed City Watch to call the police, who soon arrived to arrest the man.
He added: “The man said: ‘Leave me, she’s my girlfriend’, but I told him it was unacceptable to hit a woman like that. She was only just coming round when the police came.”
Dipesh Mistry said: “Here at Westside we are incredibly proud of the work our Street Wardens do every day.
“Each time they come onto shift they never know what they will face, however I am glad to say they are truly committed and passionate about ensuring Westside is a safe and protected space.
“I am truly proud of Saghir’s achievements and look forward to seeing and hearing his continued success stories here at Westside BID.”
By Tony Collins
