BROMSGROVE police officers and staff have been given commendations for their outstanding work in the community.

Those who received commendations at a recent presentation evening included Police Community Support Officer Simon Cadwallader and PC Greg Moorman, who were alerted to a house fire in Bromsgrove.

On arrival they found the property ablaze, and were told by a distressed woman that her son was still inside.

They went in but were beaten back by the smoke and intense heat, and had to wait for the arrival of the fire service. They then prevented the mother getting back in herself.

Although the man was unable to be saved, their commendations recognised that their courageous actions meant the tragedy did not become a double fatality.

PCs Barney Kelso and Al Healy were awarded superintendent’s commendations for their work on a neighbour dispute.

They were recognised for putting in some hard work on the case, which was extremely difficult to prove and demonstrated excellent management of the situation.

Detective Constable Clare Smith received a commendation for her work around a case of sexual assault, involving two teenage boys, that resulted in the offender admitting three charges.

DC Smith was found to have gone beyond expectations with her investigation of the case, dealing with challenging circumstances and pursing the case to its end.

Her investigative abilities and determination to see the case through resulted in the offender admitting the offences.

Detective Constable Saf Ali also received a superintendent’s commendation for his part in the apprehension of two men who had brandished a handgun outside a Redditch nightclub, and who were stopped in Bromsgrove.

Also commended for this incident were Sergeant Steve Saunders, and PCs Chris Woolman, Samantha Moore, Samantha Connop, and Dave Hawkins, who received their commendations at a previous presentation evening.

PC Woolman, PC Hawkins, PC Connop and DC Ali followed a vehicle in which the suspects were travelling, while Sgt Saunders and PC Moore were parked in a patrol car that the suspects’ vehicle passed, enabling them to update colleagues with vital information.

The vehicle was stopped in Bromsgrove by other officers, and a firearm was recovered. Although it was an imitation, it had been converted into a weapon capable of firing live ammunition.

It was a fast moving and dynamic incident, and the involvement of the officers was praised by the force duty inspector and armed officers present at the incident.

Superintendent Kevin Purcell said: “Some of these commendations are to response officers and detectives who have arrived at incidents not knowing what awaits them.

“The commendations also celebrate the work of members of local policing teams who have made a real difference to people’s lives.

"They show how ordinary officers have responded in extraordinary ways to achieve the right outcome for our communities.”