A POLICE officer has been hailed a hero after single-handedly tackling a murderer in a supermarket car park.

Ross Falconer, from Musselburgh, bravely struggled with the man – who had fatally stabbed a woman earlier that day – despite not knowing if he was still armed.

The killer, Nicholas Rogers, had been trying to escape the scene after stabbing the woman nearby – tragically, she would later die in hospital.

During the struggle, Rogers threatened to kill PC Falconer and tried to throw him to the ground. But the officer succeeded in handcuffing him before back-up arrived.

Now, PC Falconer’s heroic actions have seen him honoured with the top award at the annual Scottish Police Federation Bravery Awards.

The modest officer admitted he was “very scared” at the time but “my duty as an officer outweighs any risk to myself”.

PC Falconer had gone to Tesco in Peebles during his shift in the Scottish Borders town when, by chance, he met Rogers, 28, who was later jailed for life for killing postwoman Alex Stuart, 22, after stabbing her at a house party, in August 2017.

The officer, who was an acting police sergeant at the time, came across a couple arguing and, just seconds later, he heard a radio message stating that there had been a vicious stabbing in the nearby Cuddyside area.

The 39-year-old quickly realised that the man in front of him, Rogers, was connected to the incident and was attempting to flee the scene using his girlfriend’s car.

Despite not knowing if Rogers was still armed and, with the nearest backup unit being 20 minutes away, PC Falconer swiftly attempted to handcuff the man.

A struggle ensued, with Rogers repeatedly threatening to kill the officer, but he managed to get the intoxicated man under control.

Tragically, Alex Stuart sustained serious injuries during the earlier knife attack and passed away in hospital.

A jury convicted Rogers of murder and he was jailed for life at the High Court in Glasgow, to serve a minimum of 16 years.

PC Falconer, who has lived in Musselburgh all his life, was named the overall winner at the Bravery Awards in Edinburgh last Thursday He is a former pupil of Campie Primary School and Musselburgh Grammar School. He works in J Division, covering the Lothians and Scottish Borders, but is usually based at Musselburgh. Prior to that he served in Midlothian and with the British Transport Police.

The father-of-two said: “It was completely coincidental that I happened to have gone to buy a bottle of juice at the exact moment that this male was at Tesco.

“It was really just a case of me being in the right place at the right time.

“At that point, I didn’t know if the male was still in possession of a knife.

“His intention was to escape the police, which was clear from the messages he had sent his girlfriend.

“If he had managed to drive away, there would have been a serious manhunt for a very dangerous individual which could have gone on for a long time and put members of the public and police officers at extreme risk.

“The next nearest unit to me was in Galashiels, which is about a 20 to 25 minute drive away.

“My concern at the time was that the male was armed and he may attempt to stab either myself or someone else.

“I tried to speak to him; however, he was extremely aggressive.

“I managed to get one hand cuffed but at that time he was able to grab hold of me by the top of my vest and began to struggle with me.

“He tried to take me towards the ground.

“I had activated my emergency button on my radio and, unbeknown to me at the time, my two colleagues had diverted from the stabbing and came to assist me.

“I managed to secure the male in handcuffs and a few seconds later I heard the sirens as my colleagues drove into the car park, much to my relief.”

He added: “I made the decision to approach the male and handcuff him because it’s my duty as a police officer to protect the public.

“I knew there were possibly significant risks to myself; however, I feel that my duty, my responsibility, as an officer outweighs any risk to myself.

“I’m not ashamed to admit that I was very scared in that situation but there was no alternative.

“I am a dad myself and I did meet the victim’s family very briefly after the incident and I saw what an effect it had on them.

“I’d hate to think of myself in that situation, it must have been horrific, obviously for Alex but also for her whole family.

“It also had quite an effect on the wider community in Peebles.”