Kindness · Manchester, England, UK
Andrew Franks wins Pride of Britain bravery award
Why did Andrew Franks win a Pride of Britain award?
Andrew Franks, a 53-year-old NHS chef and volunteer security guard, won the Outstanding Bravery award at the 2026 Pride of Britain Awards. He confronted the attacker at the gate of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester on Yom Kippur. He was stabbed, but his actions gave worshippers time to lock the doors.
What happened?
Andrew Franks is a 53-year-old chef at an NHS mental health unit in Greater Manchester. He also volunteered as a security guard at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue.
On Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, an attacker drove at the synagogue and then tried to get inside. Franks saw him at the gate and confronted him before he could reach the entrance.
“I went to grab him and he stabbed me three times,” Franks told Pride of Britain.
How did his actions help?
Franks was badly hurt, but he kept going. He tripped the attacker as he ran towards the synagogue. Then he shouted, “Lock the doors, lock the doors!”
His actions gave the congregation time to barricade the doors. Police arrived within minutes, and firearms officers shot the attacker dead. Two men were killed in the attack, Yahoo News UK reported.
What happened to him?
Franks suffered serious injuries to his head, neck, spine and face. His 80-year-old father, Ellis, held his wounds until paramedics arrived. Pride of Britain says he died three times on the operating table before surgeons saved him.
Franks is a widowed father of one. He remembers saying, “Please save me, I have a daughter.”
How has he been recognised?
Franks received the Outstanding Bravery award at the 2026 Pride of Britain Awards. ITV1 and ITVX broadcast the ceremony on 22 October 2026.
His friend Jonathan Patoff described him as “a quiet and unassuming good man”. He said Franks behaved heroically in defending the congregants.
See every 2026 Pride of Britain winner and regional finalist.
Sources & reporting notes
We checked the Pride of Britain winner page and Yahoo News UK's list of 2026 winners, published on 19 October 2026. The award page does not give the year of the attack; Yahoo describes it as Yom Kippur 'last year'. We report the attack only as far as it explains the award.
- Pride of Britain Awards · Andrew Franks
Official winner profile, with Franks's account and a friend's tribute.
- Yahoo News UK · 19 October 2026
Full list of 2026 winners. Confirms his age, the award category and that two men were killed in the attack.
Have a correction or a confirmed update? Contact our editorial team.
Common questions
- What did Andrew Franks do?
- He saw the attacker at the synagogue gate and confronted him before he reached the entrance. After he was stabbed, he tripped the attacker and shouted for the doors to be locked. Worshippers barricaded the doors and police arrived within minutes.
- How is Andrew Franks now?
- Pride of Britain says he suffered serious injuries to his head, neck, spine and face. His 80-year-old father, Ellis, held his wounds until paramedics arrived, and he survived emergency surgery.
