Dozens of Hillingdon's police officers were honoured for going beyond the call of duty at the Borough Commander's Awards on Friday (18). SIBA MATTI reports.

POLICEMEN and women who showed outstanding courage, dedication and determination were rewarded for their efforts at the annual Borough Commander's Awards.

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The ceremony, held at Denham Grove Hotel in Denham, saw awards handed out to more than 40 officers who went above and beyond the call of duty.

They were joined by one brave member of the public and a volunteer police cadet, who both astonished senior officers with their quick-thinking actions, having little regard for their own personal safety.

Hillingdon Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Julian Worker, said: "While there are some who believe they are just doing 'the job', others, including me, see it differently and this is my small way of saying thanks on behalf of the Metropolitan Police and the community we all serve.

"The officers here are part of the finest police service in the world. They should take pride not only in their own individual achievements, but in those of colleagues and throughout the Met.

"We also give thanks to the members of the public whose help means we can convict criminals and put them behind bars, where they belong."

FOUR officers were commended for helping to talk down a suicidal man threatening to jump from a railway bridge in Dawley Road, Hayes.

PC Andy Hine, together with PCs Kevin Coady, Andrew Salter and Mark Hutchinson, were alerted to the man's plight at about 8.30pm on June 22 this year.

While he was aware of the dangers, PC Hine knew if he didn't act, the man could jump to his death or worse still, collide with an oncoming train at speed.

He risked falling onto the live tracks and electrocuting himself as he attempted to persuade the man to return to safety.

He built a rapport with the man, which led to the rescue operation being completed, once power in the area was isolated and trains were temporarily halted.

PC Hine, who received an MBE in 2004 for services to British tourism, having founded the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, said:

"Never before have I been faced with someone about to jump, I had no idea what was going to happen next.

"Trains were going past and I had to go out on the ledge of the bridge to try and speak with the man but I was more concerned that if he jumped he would hit an oncoming train, which could have injured or killed hundreds of innocent people.

"The rescue attempt lasted about an hour and a half, although it seemed much longer than that, but thankfully the man was brought to safety."

ANOTHER trio of officers were honoured for preventing a potential suicide attempt at Uxbridge Tube station.

At 5.10am on January 31 this year, a man with mental illness who appeared to have been drinking was seen sitting on the ledge of a railway bridge, about 50ft high.

He warned PCs Phillip Nuttall and Paula Crane, who attended the scene, to stay away, and started behaving violently.

Thanks to the officers' intervention and powers of persuasion, they eventually helped the man down off the bridge. He was later taken to hospital and detained under the mental health act.

PCs Nuttall and Crane, together with Inspector Steve Beattie, were commended for their 'professionalism, bravery and sound judgement'.

A DETECTIVE Constable was honoured for working tirelessly to bring two knife-wielding attackers to justice.

DC Neil Sykes headed the investigation, in which a young victim was wounded within a millimetre of his life, but hit a brick wall when most witnesses were reluctant to give evidence.

After the suspects were arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm with intent, and remanded in custody, DC Sykes persuaded the victim and his family to assist in the prosecution case.

As a result, the offenders were later jailed for eight and 10 years respectively, and the victim praised DC Sykes for his 'excellent work and ongoing support'.

He was commended for 'outstanding victim and witness care, professionalism and dedication to duty'.

DC Sykes said: "This is all part of the job but this was a particularly rewarding result as both men were jailed and I hope that made them realise the seriousness of their actions."

A HAVE-A-GO-HERO was recognised for his bravery after assisting with the capture of a 'prolific burglar'.

Eagle-eyed Andrew Vince spotted the offender on the roof of a property while travelling on a bus towards Hayes, on November 27 last year.

He alerted the police before getting off the bus and making his way to the house, where the burglar was in the process of breaking in.

Without thought for his own personal safety, Mr Vince waited outside the property while the suspect remained inside, until the police arrived, catching him red-handed.

Mr Vince, of Northolt, was presented with an award for 'displaying remarkable personal courage, citizenship and initiative which contributed to the apprehension and conviction of a prolific burglar'.

Afterwards, he modestly said: "I am proud of this award but don't feel I deserve it as much as other people, who have saved lives.

"It is all a bit of a blur – I remember seeing the man on the roof, and it was coming up to Christmas so I thought someone's presents could be at risk.

"I have worked with victim support and have seen the impact that crime can have on people's lives, so I wouldn't think twice about getting involved again."

A SHARP-witted detective and PCSO were recognised for exposing the cruel actions of a carer against a vulnerable 90-year-old woman from the Ruislip area.

The Gazette reported last week how Ratana Charvey, of Green Lane, Northwood, was jailed for 18 weeks, after admitting to lying six times about when she visited the pensioner, reliant on her care.

The crimes came to light after PCSO Joanne Witt noticed Charvey had put false entry times in her care log in August.

She also discovered blank cheques had been taken from the pensioner's cheque book without her knowledge.

PCSO Witt was awarded for her 'outstanding professionalism, compassion and determination', while DC Jacqui Robertson as awarded for outstanding investigative ability, sensitivity and professionalism'.

IT COULD have been part of a script from television series Life on Mars when officers employed a fleet of vintage cars to catch a dastardly trio of burglars.

Police were alerted to three suspects running away from a property in Flamborough Road, Ruislip, on June 11 this year, as reported in the Gazette.

With the nearest police vehicles attending incidents elsewhere, officers were forced to improvise and made use of a 1983 Rover SDI, a 1962 Jaguar and and 1956 Wolsey, owned by PC David Butler.

Thanks to the officers thinking on their feet, the three men were caught and later arrested.

PS Neil Roberts, together with PCs Butler, Ian Scott and Alan Webster, and PCs Christopher Barton, Benson Nastor and Niall Hayes, were all commended for outstanding professionalism, determination and initiative.

PC Butler, who owns the vintage vehicles, was also commended for his commitment towards youth engagement projects and charity fundraising, including the NSPCC, Help for Heroes and the Chiltern Air Ambulance.

FRONT-LINE officers responsible for reducing tackling and crime in the borough were commended for their efforts.

Members of the Hillingdon Borough Tasking Unit (BTU), led by Inspector Simon Jarvis, dealt with a number of serious incidents including hooliganism at a football match between Hayes and Luton Town Football Clubs in March, and a machete attack in August.

The unit also helped to diffuse riots at The Bell pub in Ruislip on St George's Day in April, blamed on far-right anti-Islamic group, the English Defence League (EDL) – as reported in the Gazette.

Sergeant Neil Roberts was also given a special commendation for outstanding professionalism, dedication and leadership during the incident.

Inspector Jarvis said: "My officers are all experienced in public order situations and would never be intimidated by any organisation, including the EDL.

"We are all extremely enthusiastic about our work and 100 per cent focused on getting results – any offenders will be dealt with robustly, and we are all very proud that this has been recognised."

MEMBERS of the Yiewsley Safer Neighbourhood Team were commended for 'outstanding determination and teamwork' after assisting with the recovery of a man close to death in Cowley.

In May this year, police discovered a drunk man lying on his back in a front garden in Heritage Close, conscious but incoherent and partially dressed.

As officers attempted to help him, his legs began to shake and his breathing increased, indicating he had excited delirium syndrome and was close to death.

He was put into the recovery position and soon rushed to Hillingdon Hospital.

Sergeant Andrew Lewis, together with PCs Wesley Green and Mark Mullan, plus PCSOs Nicholas Black, Charlotte Broadhurst and Deepak Paul, were all recognised for their efforts; hospital staff said if it wasn't for their intervention, the man would not have survived.

A BROTHEL in Hayes and a number of other venues exhibiting anti social behaviour have been shut down thanks to a police officer based in Townfield ward using his initiative.

Sergeant Andy Shuker, who joined Hillingdon Police just 11 months ago, was the first officer in the country to take advantage of new laws about the closure of such premises.

After setting up community consultations to identify the issues concerning residents, he obtained court closure orders for several establishments in East Avenue, including the brothel.

He was commended for 'responding to long-standing community issues in Hillingdon'.

POLICING is a round-the clock job as one dedicated officer demonstrated when he dealt with a fatal road accident while off duty.

PC Matthew Catlin was travelling home on the A41 when he noticed the crash, at 7.15am on April 26, and immediately pulled over to help.

While an ambulance was on route, he attempted to resuscitate an unconscious female cyclist, who sadly later died.

PC Catlin remained on the scene rounding up witnesses and gave arriving officers vital information about the collision.

He was commended for his 'outstanding commitment, sensitivity and professionalism'.

TWO PCSOs who gave life-saving treatment to a man who had collapsed in the street were commended for their 'professionalism and determination'.

While on cycle patrol in June this year, PCSOs Laura Down and Charlotte Broadhurst were confronted by the sight of the man, known to have alcohol problems, near Uxbridge Road, Hayes.

They put him in the recovery position and after realising he had stopped breathing, attempted to resuscitate him, before an ambulance arrived. The man remained in intensive care for some time but made a full recovery.

A VOLUNTEER police cadet who was punched in the face while trying to protect two females during an assault has been honoured for his bravery.

Reno Haimes witnessed two suspects behaving in an anti-social manner while walking in the direction of Barouche in High Street, Uxbridge.

Fearing someone would be seriously hurt, he intervened and as a result was hit in the face. He pulled the two women inside the bar and barricaded the door, while the suspects, who were drunk, threw glass at the window.

He was commended for 'displaying remarkable personal courage and citizenship' and also received praise from the London Ambulance Service for 'doing a fantastic job'.

AN OFFICER who forged close links between the police and local community in the Heathrow Villages was presented with an award.

PCSO Gurbinder Sandu worked hard to develop excellent relationships with both residents and workers in the ward.

His knowledge of the area has been hailed as 'second to none', and since 2008, he has been responsible for detaining 12 suspects of crime.

A PAIR of PCSOs were praised for 'outstanding professionalism' after identifying repeat offenders who shoplifted and made off without paying at a Hillingdon petrol station.

Since April this year, officers Barnaby Strong and Saqib Sajid secured CCTV footage and used their own ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) system to identify 32 suspects at BP in Long Lane.

The substantial number of detections could not have been made had the officers not carried out their work.

A PCSO who set up a junior citizenship scheme for almost 3,000 youngsters was also presented with an award.

PCSO Victoria Charge was responsible for providing crime prevention advice for 10 to 11-year-olds across the borough at sessions held over three weeks in March this year.

She volunteered for and devised the project, which involved presenting a number of crime and internet safety scenarios.

AN OFFICER permanently based at Brunel University received the David Brough Award for Services to Community Safety.

PC Jonathan Walls was commended for his work with the Brunel Safer Neighbourhood Team to maintain community safety and crime prevention on campus, as well as dealing with issues between students and residents.

He also set up a web page called Brunel Bobby on social networking site, Facebook, to encourage communication between students and police, as well as undertaking various projects to promote diversity.

He received the award from ex-councillor David Brough, who praised him for making Brunel SNT a 'shining beacon of excellence'.