The mother of a Good Samaritan who was murdered when he tried to intervene in a row over a mobile phone in Bristol has received an award for his bravery.

Liam Attwell, 25, was stabbed to death as he tried to help three teenage boys who were being robbed on October 3 2002 in the Canon's Marsh area of Bristol.

He remonstrated with the gang of six youths when one of them produced a knife and stabbed him once through the heart. He died in hospital three days later.

His mother, Rosin Reddick, together with 15 of Liam's family and friends, received a posthumous award for Liam's 'brave and public spirited' actions in a ceremony at Avon and Somerset police headquarters in Portishead.

Mrs Reddick, 46, of Redland, Bristol, said she wished her son could have seen how many people appreciated what he had done.

She said: 'It was quite a moving experience to receive this award but I'm delighted that everyone who went through the experience with me are here.

'Liam was not a vigilante type and he would never have joined the police force, he was an individual with long hair tied back in a ponytail. I wish he could have been here to see how many people appreciated his actions.

'He would have been terribly embarrassed as he was really shy.'

She said the family had moved on since Liam's murder but that he had left a big hole in their close-knit family.

She said: 'He was an interesting and complex character. We all miss him and always will do. He was a very upbeat, busy, energetic young person and life goes on. He hated arguments and was always willing to step in to stop them.'

The Waley-Cohen Award is awarded to people who perform meritorious acts in support of law an order. A minute's silence was held during the ceremony in remembrance of Liam.

Brian Grady, who was 17 at the time of Liam's death, was convicted of murder and ordered to be detained for 11 years in July 2003.

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