Moment have-a-go Thai boxer hero helped cop wrestle knifeman to the ground

DRAMATIC footage has emerged of the moment a Thai boxer helped a cop tackle a knife-wielding thug.

Brave Andy Haigh, 49, rushed to help PC Rich Farrar as he tussled in the middle of the road with the criminal.

The cop had spotted Dean Edwards acting suspiciously, finding him "verbally aggressive and confrontational", and "very evasive", so decided to search him.

The 28-year-old thug had remained calm at first but after a 12 inch butcher's blade fell from his trousers he tried to flee.

Shocking CCTV footage shows Edwards launching himself backwards as he attempts to run before the knife falls to the ground.

As the pair scuffled in the street, brave martial artist Andy raced to help the officer during the incident in York city centre last September.

He restrained Edwards, who was later jailed for 30 months, allowing PC Farrar to handcuff him until backup arrived.

Speaking shortly after the arrest last year, PC Farrar said: "I went to search the back of his waistband and that's when he launched himself backwards.

"I got hold of him and he ended up on top of me.

"I wrestled him and I got on top of him, but all that time I didn't know what he had on him."

PC Farrar said he heard metal hit the floor, and thought it was his baton, but followed Edwards into the road and tackled him to the ground.

He was unable to reach his cuffs as traffic swerved around them, until Andy got out of a taxi to help.

The professional cage fighter, from Leeds, had been on a night out with his partner Diane for a birthday celebration.

He said: "They were rolling around and cars were swerving round them, they didn't even stop. A bunch of people were stood watching."

Andy, who is trained in Muay Thai boxing and jujitsu, and put Edwards in a restraint hold until he was handcuffed, then got back into his taxi as backup arrived.

He said: "I couldn't see him struggle on his own. He was a lone police officer trying to make an arrest and I just helped him out. Someone was going to get hurt."

As Edwards was put into a police vehicle, PC Farrar went to retrieve his kit, and realised the metal he heard falling to the ground was a 12-inch butchers knife with an eight-inch blade.

PC Farrar said: "It's very important to remember CCTV makes the streets of York safer and helps detect crime.

"It's great to identification purposes and for evidence, as it's hard to put pen to paper and relay what you've seen. When you see it on CCTV in court or in interview, it speaks a thousand words.

"Obviously there might be some lighthearted mickey taking from my colleagues, we'll see.

"I just hope we come across professional and informative, and it portrays police, Mr Haigh and the CCTV operators in a good light, and that without the assistance of members of the public, things could go very differently."

PC Farrar said the assistance of heroic Andy and CCTV operators helped ensure a conviction.

Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst said Edwards was "someone who is essentially lawless", and there were big concerns about what he would have done with the 12-inch knife had he not been stopped.

He was caged for 30 months.

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