MURDERED policeman Ian Dibell has been chosen as the Essex Police candidate for a national bravery award.

Each year every police force has the chance to nominate an officer to go forward to the regional and national awards in October.
 

PC Dibell was nominated, by Essex Police Federation chairman Mark Smith, after giving his life to protect the public from a gunman on the loose.
 

Mr Smith said: “On a very sad day he paid the ultimate sacrifice and the bravery he showed deserves recognition.
 

“He did not just stumble across the incident. He became aware of gun shots while off duty so he got his warrant card and went to protect the public.
 

“If that is not bravery I don’t know what is.”
 

A number of nominations were made and two went forward to a panel with PC Dibell then chosen.
 

Mr Smith added: “This will be a very popular choice with our members and all officers in Essex.”
 

In July last year PC Dibell, 41, was shot dead when he tried to disarm Peter Reeve in Redbridge Road, Clacton.
 

He saved the lives of Trevor Marshall and his girlfriend Kat Karolak, who paranoid Reeve wrongly believed to be drug dealers and counterfeiters, before Reeve went on to take his own life in a Writtle graveyard.
 

He will be up against nominated candidates from Kent, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Thames Valley, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire for the regional award and then an overall winner will be chosen.
 

A campaign to honour the fallen officer with a George Cross is continuing with more than 4,000 people supporting the campaign on Facebook.
A nomination for the award was made by the Support awarding the George Cross to Pc Ian Dibell Facebook group to the Honours and Appointments Secretariat at the Cabinet Office in March, but it is still awaiting a decision.
 

Following the inquest into his death former Essex Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle posthumously awarded the officer the Chief Constable’s High Commendation, the highest honour he can give.