THE county's police service has been awarded the Investors in People Gold award for their efforts in serving the public.

Avon and Somerset Police were awarded the prestigious accolade for their on-going commitment to supporting, developing and empowering people to deliver the best possible service.

The police force needed to meet a total of 165 standards, including 39 core accreditation standards, in a wide range of categories ranging from involvement and empowerment to learning and development, performance measurement and business strategy.