Policeman who became hero of the 1980 Iranian embassy siege in London, but shunned the limelight, dies at the age of 85
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The policeman who became a hero of the infamous Iranian embassy siege of 1980 has died aged 85.
PC Trevor Lock became the de facto leader of the 26 hostages, an intermediary between the terrorists and the authorities and went on to rugby tackle the lead gunman in a room full of gas as the SAS stormed the building.
The diplomatic protection officer had a concealed revolver throughout the entire six-day siege and refused to go to the toilet because he feared the gunmen would see the gun if he unbuckled his belt.
‘Bravery comes in different forms,’ historian Ben Macintyre wrote in his account of the siege, and in Lock’s case it came in the form of a ‘heroic feat of self-constipation.’
Born into a working class family in east London, Lock was posted to Tripoli, Libya, during his National Service before working at Dagenham’s Ford Factory and eventually joining the police at age 26.
He and his second wife, Doreen, had six children between them – three each from their previous relationships.
After 15 years patrolling east London, Lock, described by Macintyre as ‘portly, placid and patient,’ requested a transfer to the diplomatic protection group because of the improved wages in January 1980.
Three months later, he was sipping a cup of coffee while guarding the entrance to the Iranian embassy when a bullet flew past him, shattering the security door and sending shards of glass into Lock’s face.
Lock had the presence of mind to press the emergency button on his lapel radio as the gunmen shoved him inside the building, meaning the police were outside within minutes.
The policeman had been planning to take Doreen to a West End musical that evening for his birthday but instead found himself at the heart of a terrifying six-day hostage drama that gripped the world.
He would become ‘the policeman who discovered accidental courage without looking for it, wanting it or knowing what it was,' Macintyre wrote.
Miraculously, the terrorists failed to notice Lock’s revolver when they searched him and he would spend the siege eating as little as possible so as to avoid having to go to the toilet and removing his belt.
Lock became popular with both the hostages and the gunmen, who he amused with Arab swear words he had learnt in Libya.
He was often chosen to communicate with the outside world on behalf of the gunmen through a small window at the front of the building, and during one of these exchanges when asked if he had a message for his wife simply replied: ‘Keep your chin up.’
Lock would remain awake upright in a chair while the other hostages slept, made constant efforts to dissuade his captors from violence and tried to convince the terrorists that the squeaking sound made by police drilling listening devices into the walls was made by mice.
Such was the respect that the lead terrorist, Towfiq Ibrahim al-Rashidi, had for the policeman that the gunman considered asking for Lock to drive them to the airport himself if they were offered free passage.
Lock had been standing next to Towfiq at 7.23pm on the sixth day of the siege, when a huge blast rocked the foundations of the building and debris dropped from the ceiling around them.
The SAS were mounting their assault, and Lock seized an opportunity to disarm the gunman – smashing him into a neighbouring office and sending his submachine gun clattering across the floor.
Lock pinned Towfiq down and withdrew his long-concealed revolver, shouting: ‘You caused this, you bastard.
‘I f***ing begged you to surrender and you wouldn’t.’
He refrained from shooting the terrorist and when two gas canisters exploded nearby he rolled off Towfiq as two SAS soldiers shot the Arab hostage-taker dead.
Lock rarely spoke of the siege and gave few interviews.
Three years ago, Barking and Dagenham Council unveiled a plaque on his modest family home – not for Lock’s heroism in 1980 but for the contributions made by him and Doreen in the years since.
Lock died in his sleep on March 30, a year after his beloved wife.
The Metropolitan Police Federation last night said its members were saddened to hear of PC Lock's death.
A spokesman said: 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.
'PC Lock is remembered for calming his fellow hostages during the siege, acting as an intermediary between the terrorists and the security forces that ringed the building and - as the embassy was stormed - tackling the leading gunman.
'PC Lock was awarded the George Medal for his “outstanding courage, sustained bravery, calmness and devotion to duty”. We could not have said it any better.
'It almost seems fitting that this week we host the first ever London Police Bravery Awards, where we will be sure to remember PC Lock and his incredible courage.'
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