A policeman who turned personal tragedy into a mission to save lives has been named Northern Ireland’s ‘999 Hero’at the Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards 2025.
After losing his brother in a tragic road accident, Constable Stephen Dickson was hailed as a ‘driving force in Northern Ireland’s fight for road safety’ as he picked up the award at a star-studded gala ceremony in the Culloden Hotel.
Sponsored by Irish-owned pizza chain Four Star Pizza, the prestigious ‘999 Hero’ award recognises members of the emergency services who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their jobs.
As a long-serving member of the PSNI’s Collision Investigations Unit and through his involvement with the Roadsafe Roadshow, Stephen has tirelessly promoted the importance of road safety, educating more than 100,000 young people on the dangers of getting behind the wheel.
Within the police force, Stephen is a valuable mentor, shaping how officers approach collision investigations and, importantly, how they engage with grieving families.
As chair of the Lisburn and Castlereagh Road Safety Committee, Stephen also brings together community leaders and first responders, working closely with fire services and youth groups, and has appeared on TV and radio to spread road safety awareness.
“We are honoured to present this year’s 999 Hero award to Constable Stephen Dickson,” said Four Star Pizza Marketing Director Sean Scott, who presented the award alongside stars of the popular Blue Lights TV series, Joanne Crawford and Paddy Jenkins.
“Turning his own personal tragedy into purpose, Stephen’s tireless campaign to raise road safety awareness in Northern Ireland has undoubtedly saved many lives. He is truly a 999 hero in every sense.
“While there can only be one winner of this incredibly special award, we at Four Star Pizza would like to take this opportunity to salute all those individuals and teams working in our emergency services,” added Sean.
“As a company deeply rooted in local communities, with franchises in towns across Northern Ireland and the Republic, we offer our heartfelt gratitude, on behalf of all our customers and staff, for their extraordinary acts of courage and sacrifice, and we are honoured to help celebrate their resilience and unwavering dedication.”
Speaking about his efforts to make our roads safer, a modest Stephen Dickson said: “It’s just about looking after each other and looking after yourselves, and making it home to your family at the end of the day.
“There’s nothing more rewarding for me than to be able to help people, and if I have a young driver come up to me and say ‘I’ve taken on board what you’ve said and I’m going to be very careful when I’m driving’, then that’s a reward in itself,” he added.
Almost 400 people attended the Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards ceremony, which was hosted by UTV’s Rita Fitzgerald and Cool FM’s Pete Snodden at the Culloden Estate and Spa in Cultra.
The awards honour inspirational people from across Northern Ireland, with other award categories including Unsung Hero, Charity Champion, Caring Spirit, Community Hero, Young Carer, Environmental Hero, Overcoming Adversity, Spirit of Health, Spirit of Education, Spirit of Youth and Spirit of Sport.
Celebrities and personalities in attendance on the night included Mathew Horne (Gavin & Stacey), Ciaran Hinds, Blue Lights stars Nathan Braniff, Joanne Crawford and Paddy Jenkins, Ian McElhinney and Marie Jones, Linda Robson, Christopher Biggins, Dean McCullough, singers Briana Corrigan and Cliona Hagan, Eoghan Quigg, cast members of Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hope Street, Ibe Sesay, Barra Best, Frank Mitchell, Paul Clarke, Michelle Napier, Jacob Stockdale, Tim McGarry, Charlie Lawson, Mickey Modelle and Ben Ofoedu (Phats & Small).
