Four young people from Dundee and Arbroath are to be honoured for selfless acts of bravery.
Their courage will be marked at the First Minister’s Brave@Heart awards reception in Edinburgh Castle on Wednesday, where certificates will be presented by Alex Salmond.
The four were nominated by Tayside Police staff.
Arbroath’s Ricci Foreman (20) will be honoured for risking his life trying to save that of neighbour Jessica McCagh (17), who died in a fire at the hands of boyfriend Stewart Blackburn in April last year.
Blackburn doused Jessica in petrol, set fire to it and held on to the door of the bedroom in the flat they shared in Bloomfield Road.
Ricci, then aged 19, heard screams coming from the property below and attempted to enter.
When he finally managed to open the door far enough to gain entry he repeatedly poured water over Jessica in an effort to douse the flames.
She fell to the floor in the hallway and he struggled to remove her from the flat, which was by that time engulfed in smoke.
He then ran upstairs to warn the neighbours before collapsing from smoke inhalation.
Ricci received hospital treatment but suffered no serious injury.
Blackburn was sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 21 years behind bars.
Jessica’s family praised Ricci’s actions, and his efforts were recognised earlier this year when he was presented with an award from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.
The police spokeswoman said, “This was described as a ‘barbaric and evil murder’, and Ricci received praise for his bravery and determination at the conclusion of the trial.”Prevented robberyDavid Bruce of Dundee, who was 15 when he displayed “courage and maturity beyond his years,” will also be presented with a St Andrew’s Award.
David was asleep at home in October 2008 when he was disturbed by noises.
Getting up to investigate, he discovered a man and woman had broken into the house and were going through his mother’s things.
He confronted them and grabbed the woman’s handbag in an attempt to prevent her running off, and the man held a pair of scissors to David’s neck. David asked the couple to leave and they fled with items from the house.
He called the police and gave a statement.
A police spokeswoman said, “This was a frightening ordeal for David, but he displayed courage and maturity beyond his years.
“As a result of his calmness and observation skills the matter was brought to a successful conclusion.”Saved youngster from TayHenry Rymer and Finlay Redford were 14 and 15 at the time of their courageous act.
Finlay, who cannot attend the ceremony, receives his certificate from Tayside Police Chief Constable Justine Curran later this month.
The boys were enjoying a day at Broughty Ferry beach in July 2008 when they spotted young Connor Smith was in difficulty after drifting away from the shore in an inflatable dinghy.
The 12-year-old had jumped into the water but was unable to swim, and his mother Sarah was watching anxiously from the shore.
The brave pair swam out, grabbed the youngster and brought him safely to the shore before the lifeboat arrived.
The spokeswoman said they reacted quickly in an emergency situation, and “a potential tragedy was averted as a result of their courageous actions and prompt intervention.”