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Trevor Lock, hero of Iranian embassy siege, dies aged 85

Ruth Comerford
BBC News
Getty Images A black and white photo of PC Trevor Lock, who grins broadly and flicks his trouser braces out at the camera. He wears a striped tie and blazer. Getty Images
PC Lock was a member of the diplomatic protection group guarding the embassy

Trevor Lock, the policeman who was taken hostage in a siege on the Iranian embassy in London in 1980, has died aged 85, his daughter has confirmed.

PC Lock was freed along with 24 other hostages after a six-day stand-off between members of a dissident Iranian group and the SAS.

It later emerged he had tackled the leader of the gunmen and saved the life of an SAS soldier.

He was awarded the George Medal, which recognises outstanding bravery, for his actions.

Getty Images PC Lock is presented with the George Medal at Buckingham Palace, with his wife Doreen standing by. The photo is in black and white. Getty Images
PC Lock, pictured here with his wife Doreen, was presented with the George Medal at Buckingham Palace

On 30 April 1980, six gunmen took over the Iranian embassy in Kensington, holding 26 people hostage.

The gunmen belonged to a dissident Iranian group opposed to Ayatollah Khomeini, the religious leader who came to power in Iran in 1979.

Mr Lock was a member of the diplomatic protection squad guarding the embassy when it was stormed.

He helped relay messages from the gunmen to police negotiators via an open window and telephone.

During the negotiations, the gunmen demanded the release of 91 political prisoners held in Iran as well as an aircraft to take them and the hostages out of the UK.

Most of their hostages were Iranians but also included BBC sound man Sim Harris, BBC News organiser Chris Cramer and tourists who had stopped by to collect visas.

On the sixth day of the stand-off, the government ordered the SAS to raid the embassy after the gunmen shot dead Iranian press attaché Abbas Lavasani and dumped his body outside the building.

More than 30 masked troops entered the embassy from the balcony and front and back doors, throwing grenades through the windows.

Gunshots and screams could be heard from inside the building. Some 15 minutes later, the hostages emerged and were escorted by Scotland Yard police to waiting ambulances.

During the raid, PC Lock tackled the leader of the gunmen - known as Salim - and saved the life of an SAS soldier.

One hostage was killed and two were wounded in the crossfire - the rest were freed safely by the special forces troops.

Five of the six gunmen were killed. The survivor was jailed for 28 years.

The assault was broadcast live on three channels on 5 May - a bank holiday.

In his account of the embassy hostage incident, author Ben Macintyre said Mr Lock became "the policeman who discovered accidental courage without looking for it, wanting it or knowing what it was".