Nottinghamshire Police heroes praised at awards ceremony

Hundreds of police officers and staff were recognised for acts of bravery, long-service and going above and beyond the call of duty as Nottinghamshire Police held its annual Force Awards.

This year’s event took place at the force’s Sherwood Lodge headquarters across two ceremonies yesterday (Tuesday, 25 April).

An afternoon ceremony saw Long Service and Good Conduct medals presented to more than 170 officers and staff, while the evening ceremony included 20 main awards, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s awards and more than a hundred Chief Constable Commendations.

The evening ceremony also included a superb performance from members of Our Dementia Choir - a UK charity based in Nottinghamshire supporting people living with dementia - with audience members singing along to hits including I’m a Believer and Sweet Caroline.

Among the main award winners was a Response officer who jumped into the River Trent to save the life of a 12-year-old girl who was drowning, before doing the same weeks later to save a woman’s life.

A team of detectives who brought down gang members involved in the theft of a £3.5million tiara were also recognised, as were two police investigators who brought online stalker Alex Belfield to justice for a relentless campaign of harassment against multiple victims – including a high-profile BBC presenter.

More information and a full list of the winners are available in the event programmes, which are available to download at the end of this page.

Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: “I would like to congratulate all of this year’s nominees and winners and to show my appreciation to all of our colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police for their hard work and dedication to serving the people of Nottinghamshire.

“We have made a firm commitment to fighting crime, protecting vulnerable people and ensuring our communities feel safe and listened to, and I’m delighted that today is about highlighting some of the great work we’re doing as a force.

“I’m incredibly proud and humbled to hear the amazing stories and incredible acts of bravery performed by our officers, staff, volunteers and members of the public and to know that those acts of bravery, kindness and commitment go on every day.

“The work highlighted in these awards demonstrates the commitment and diligence of our officers, staff and partners.

“The recipients should all be proud of their achievements and the difference they have made to our communities.

"I’d like to personally thank each and every one of them for their actions and contribution to the county and the City of Nottingham."

Congratulating all the award winners Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners who have gone above and beyond to prevent and respond to crime and also to support victims.

“At a time when public attitudes to policing have been challenged nationally, events like this are a real chance to shine a light on some of our unsung heroes who display the very best examples of public service conduct that we can all be proud of here in Nottinghamshire.

“The winners have each shown bravery, ingenuity, collaboration and determination to do the best job they possibly can for our public and are just some of the many amazing people who work for, or alongside, Nottinghamshire Police.”

This year’s Force Awards were sponsored, with our thanks, by Nottinghamshire Police Federation and the Nottinghamshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

In-depth stories about some of this year's winners will be published on the force's website and social media channels over the coming days.