ACTS of bravery, lifesaving and determined detective work were recognised at an Avon and Somerset Police award ceremony this week.

Members of the public and police officers from across Somerset and North Somerset were commended at the event at Clevedon Hall, Clevedon, on Thursday April 14.

The awards were presented by Chief Constable, Andy Marsh, the High Sheriff of Somerset, Edward Bayntun-Coward, and Angela Yeoman.

Somerset County Gazette:

Chief Constable, Andy Marsh, the High Sheriff of Somerset, Edward Bayntun-Coward, and Angela Yeoman

The Waley-Cohen Award was originally set up in 1965, by Mr M H Waley-Cohen who gave a sum of money to the Constabulary for the purpose or recognising members of the public who perform meritorious acts in support of law and order.

Waley-Cohen Award

Two members of the public, Richard Floyde and Robert Burge, were given a Waley-Cohen award for tackling and detaining a man armed with a knife who stole an elderly woman’s handbag in Minehead in December last year.

Mr Floyde happened to look out from the window of his home and spotted the man approaching the woman.

His suspicions raised, he ran outside, barefoot, and found the suspect had made off with the woman’s bag. He gave chase and on seeing Mr Burge ahead, called on him to help detain the suspect, who was later found to be in possession of a knife.

Somerset County Gazette:

High Sheriff of Somerset Edward Bayntun-Coward and Richard Floyd​e

Richard Floyde, who received a Waley-Cohen Award, said: “It was a wonderful ceremony.

"I really enjoyed it and I feel really honoured to be here.

"I was really surprised when I was told that I was receiving this award.

"I didn’t expect it but I am thrilled.”

Royal Humane Society Awards 

The Royal Humane Society Award is a national award for acts of bravery while saving a human life, or in an attempt to do so.

Nailsea-based PC Mark Neal and PC Katy Hockey based at Weston-super-Mare received a Royal Humane Society (RHS) award for giving first aid to a man suffering serious blood loss after self-harming with a knife in an incident in November 2014.

Somerset County Gazette:

The officers pressed on and elevated his wounds to prevent further blood loss for more than an hour until an ambulance was able to attend. Medical staff believed their actions prevented the man’s death.

Three PCs based in Bridgwater were given an RHS award for detaining a man armed with two knives and giving life-saving first aid to a man he had attacked in an incident in Watchet in May 2015.

PCs Alison Pentland and Mark Cannell were called to a disturbance at a house and found a man armed with two kitchen knives who had already injured another man at the property.

Somerset County Gazette:

High Sheriff of Somerset, Edward Bayntun-Coward and Mark Cannell

They managed to detain the suspect and PC Cannell began giving first aid to the victim.

PC John Hill then arrived and took over the first aid, supported by PC Cannell.

PC Cannell then travelled to hospital in the ambulance, supporting the paramedic by applying pressure to the wound. The injured man recovered after surgery.

Somerset County Gazette:  High Sheriff of Somerset, Edward Bayntun-Coward and Alison Pentland

The Angela Yeoman Award 

The Angela Yeoman Award is presented in recognition of initiative, commitment and endeavour to increase community safety in the local area.

Sergeant Mark Raby was presented with the Angela Yeoman award, by Mrs Yeoman herself, for his support and commitment to improving community safety in Nailsea.

Working as the Neighbourhood Sergeant for the town for more than two years, PS Raby has been involved in a number of schemes including introducing a Shop Watch radio network which has helped to reduce incidents of shoplifting and increase confidence among retailers and shoppers.

Last year PS Raby gave up a considerable amount of his own time to organise a charity assault course event, raising money for a new skate park for the town’s young people.

Sgt Mark Raby said: “I am really proud to have received this award today but I don’t feel the award is just for me.

"This was a real team effort. Every officer, PCSO and staff member on my team who has been involved in the work and projects in Nailsea such as the shop radios, the skate park and the charity events, they all deserve an award.”

Mrs Raby added: “I’m really proud of him.

"The Tough as Nails event has been a real success and there is real appetite from the community to do it again, and he is.”

Crown Court Commendations

A Crown Court Commendation is awarded by a Crown Court Judge for significant personal courage, or significant commitment in the execution of duty, above and beyond what should normally be expected.

Two detectives based in Bridgwater received a Crown Court Commendation for their work on an operation to tackle Class A drug dealing in Bridgwater and Taunton.

Somerset County Gazette:

High Sheriff of Somerset, Edward Bayntun-Coward and DS Paul Lanigan

It  led to 27 people being convicted in Taunton Crown Court in February 2015 for offences including conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, supplying controlled drugs and money laundering.

The operation identified offenders at all levels including street dealers, drug runners and the overall organisers involved is the supply of drugs and banking of the assets raised.

Arrests and search warrants recovered substantial quantities of drugs together with thousands of pounds of laundered cash.

DC Rachel Pople and DS Paul Lanigan were commended by HHJ Ticehurst who said: “It has been a very long and complex investigation and society generally should be grateful to all police officers who have involved themselves in this long-running operation and in trying to stop those who bring such destruction and havoc to the streets of our cities by selling Class A drugs.

Somerset County Gazette:

High Sheriff of Somerset, Edward Bayntun-Coward and DC Rachel Pople

"The court is very grateful to Rachel Pople and Paul Lanigan … for your hard work and perseverance.”

The High Sheriff of Somerset, Edward Bayntun-Coward, said: “These were wonderful awards.

"I enjoyed the ceremony immensely and it is fantastic to see so much bravery, courage, professionalism and dedication to preventing and dealing with crime in Somerset.

“I attend many official events, but for me, these types of awards which demonstrate real policing, real service to the community and real acts of bravery are what it’s all about. Well done.”

Chief Constable’s Commendations

A Chief Constable’s Commendation recognises significant personal courage or significant initiative and/or commitment in the execution of duty far above and beyond what should normally be expected.

Two Yeovil-based PCs, student officer Rebecca Quirk and her tutor, Matthew Wilson, were given a Chief Constable’s Commendation for their bravery in tackling a drunken man who was threatening to set a petrol station on fire in Yeovil in June 2015.

Somerset County Gazette:

Chief Constable Andy Marsh and Matthew Wilson

The pair were called to the scene in the early hours and found a man standing on the forecourt, doused in fuel and holding a lighter.

Several customers and staff were locked inside the store.

The man was too distressed to be calmed and PC Quirk – who at the time had only completed 10 weeks’ service – tackled him.

The man struggled violently and tried to ignite the lighter, but backup arrived and they were able to bring the situation under control.

Inspector Neil Dillon, who read the citation for PC Wilson and PC Quirk, said: “I am so immensely proud of them. What a fantastic job.

"They were faced with a highly volatile and dangerous situation and they acted with bravery and without thought for their own safety.

"They put that of the man and the public above their own and efficiently and effectively dealt with a very stressful situation. Brilliant job.”

A Yeovil Acting Sergeant was commended by the Chief Constable for his courage in tackling a man in Yeovil who was armed with a knife, threatening to harm officers and had stabbed himself in December 2015.

Somerset County Gazette:

A/PS Mark Doble and a colleague went to a house after reports that a man was threatening to harm himself.

They persuaded the man to let them in, but he then grabbed a knife and pointed it at A/PS Doble, before using it to stab himself.

A/PS Doble then grabbed the man’s hands and struggled with him for control of the knife.

Thanks to his actions the man was restrained and taken to hospital where his injury was successfully treated.

Two Street-based PCs, Mark Pople and Stuart Dalton, received a Chief Constable’s Commendation for their brave actions in response to an incident involving reports of a gunshot and two bloodied men in the town’s High Street in October 2015.

The officers were on duty when a call came in reporting a gunshot, quickly followed by a call reporting two men, arguing and covered in blood.

When the PCs arrived on the scene one of the men approached them. He was drunk and bleeding.

PC Pople calmly and asked him if he had a gun.

The man lifted his shirt to show a weapon in his waistband, at which point PC Dalton swiftly grabbed the gun and the officers safely detained the man.

The gun was later found to be a paint-ball pistol, but the officers could not have known this at the time.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: “I was delighted to be awarding these different commendations as I am immensely proud of all of the officers and staff recognised at yesterday’s ceremony, and indeed the two members of the public who received Waley-Cohen Awards for bravery.

Somerset County Gazette:

“Whether their individual awards have been for saving a life, service and dedication to their community, bravery or shear dogged determination and perseverance, they have all demonstrated the very best of policing and public service.

“We police with the consent of the public and we endeavour to give them the very best service, which quite rightly they both expect and deserve.

"The officers and staff receiving these awards have achieved that, and I commend them all.”

Somerset County Gazette: