Don’t be silly..that gun’s not real. Go Away.
Article from The Daily Star,Thursday August 22nd 1996
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Heroine Pam Mills ticked off a robber like a naughty boy when he tried to stick up a bank. As he brandished what appeared to be a double-barrelled shotgun, she snapped: “Don’t be silly — that’s not a real gun. Just go away.” The raider fled — and yesterday Pam’s courage earned her a Daily Star Gold Award and a police commendation. Pam, 49, was paying in cash from a charity collection when robber Carl Barnes walked into Barclays bank at Burton Latimer, Northants. He was on the run from jail, where he was serving six years for robbery after being branded a “danger to society” by a judge. Pam, a magistrate for 14 years, said yesterday: I was watching the cashier check the money when a gruff voice said: ‘Give it to me” “His gun looked like two pieces of tubing wrapped in a plastic bag. I told him: Don’t be silly — that’s not a real gun. Just go away.’ I brushed him aside.” But the raider jabbed his “gun” towards her stomach. Said Pam: “This time it looked real. I thought my life was at risk. But again, I blurted out: ‘Don’t be so silly’ and I knocked the gun up to the ceiling. “I thought that if it went off, at least it wouldn’t hit me. But he just turned round and walked off.” The gun turned out to be a fake, made from two metal pipes. But Ted Crew, chief constable of Northamptonshire, said: “She could not be sure.” Barnes was later arrested and jailed for seven years after admitting trying to rob the bank. |
"Daily Star" Award
Pam Mills and her “Daily Star” Gold Star, presented to her by Lennox Lewis
As shown in the Daily Star report of August 22nd, 1996, Pam Mills’ bravery earned her the award of one of the newspaper’s prestigious Gold Stars. The ceremony took place at the Savoy Hotel in London on March 19th, 1997.
The televised event honoured some dozen people who like Pam had shown courage in the face of adversity, and was attended by a wide range of sporting and media personalities, some of whom did the presentations. Pam was presented with her Gold Star by Lennox lewis, who at the time was the undisputed World heavyweight Boxing Champion.
The day before the ceremony and the photos, the group were taken off to Downing Street for a reception with Prime Minister John Major.
images of the days are shown in the gallery below
A copy of the original invitation letter
Left: Rob and Pam Mills with Geoff Capes. Right and Below: at the Downing Street reception
