TWO men have won an accolade for intervening and protecting the public when a mentally ill bus passenger randomly stabbed two people.

The duo, Muhammed Adnan Shabbir and Faisal Butt, were each handed a silver medal at the Police Public Bravery Awards held on Thursday.

The friends were riding a 183 bus along Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury , at 6.45pm on Saturday July 13 last year when they witnessed Anton Allain stab another passenger, a 34-year-old man, without warning.

The award citation said: “In response Faisal quickly opened the doors and, with Muhammed's assistance, safely evacuated the bus.

“Faisal's quick thinking minimised the risk that someone else would be hurt.

“The suspect fled the scene but Faisal and Muhammed continued to put themselves at considerable risk by following him.

“They called the police and provided the operator with invaluable updates as to the man's whereabouts, which enabled police to locate him quickly.

“While awaiting police attendance they witnessed the suspect stab a second victim near a Tesco store.

“Muhammed had tried to alert the security guards but the suspect was still able to enter the busy store.

“Fearing for the safety of customers inside, Faisal and Muhammed, without any thought of the risk they were putting themselves into, entered the store to alert shoppers.

“As police arrived at the scene customers were running out of the store. Muhammed remained inside keeping watch on the still-armed suspect.

“Officers entered the store, whereon he directed them to the suspect's location.”

Allain, 20, of Lodge Avenue, Harrow, later admitted two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at the Old Bailey.

One count related to the the bus attack and the second to the attack on a 28-year-old who he stabbed in the back in Tesco in Kingsbury Road.

Two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place were ordered to lie on file by the judge.

Allain was sentenced to a hospital order under section 41 of the Mental Health Act and detained by the West London Mental Health NHS Trust.

Both injured men, who Allain did not know, were taken to hospital and released shortly afterwards.