Traffic policeman Simon Schembri received over €4,000 from the Malta Police Force on Thursday.

Mr Schembri was deemed a hero by many after he had been grievously injured in a hit-and-run incident last May.

He was left fighting for his life after he had tried to stop a 17-year-old motorist who was driving a Mercedes.

The motorist, Liam Debono, has been charged with Mr Schembri’s attempted murder.

During a ceremony at the Police Headquarters in Floriana, Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar presented Mr Schembri with the sum of €2,033 collected from various police departments.

It also seeks to help out the families of the injured officers

The Cospicua, St Julian’s and Sliema police stations as well as the Rapid Intervention Unit, the Traffic section and the Anti-Terrorism Unit contributed to raise the €2,033 sum. 

Another €2,000 were added after the Malta Police Force topped up the original amount.

Read: Today’s police officers not respected, relatives say

The funds were originally collected to aid Mr Schembri, the police said. However, after the government had offered to pay all his medical expenses, Mr Schembri and his family decided to set up the Simon Schembri Blue Light Foundation with the aim of helping other people in need. It also seeks to help out the families of the injured officers.

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca also met Mr Schembri on Thursday, where she described him as a man “of great courage and an example to us all”.

Watch: Thousands march in Valletta to support police after hit-and-run accident