A POLICE OFFICER who managed to overpower a knifeman who viciously attacked a woman in her North Yorkshire home was receiving a bravery award today.

PC Neil Slater, from Tadcaster, was commended for his bravery and quick-thinking during the incident in Sherburn-in-Elmet on January 11.

PC Slater and colleagues arrived at a house to find a man attacking a woman with a knife.

The man held the knife both to his own throat and then to the woman's, then lunged at PC Slater with the weapon.

But PC Slater managed to strike his arm away and with the help of other officers was able to overpower the man and arrest him.

The victim was badly injured and suffered numerous slash and puncture wounds to her arms and upper body as a result of the attack. The man was charged with attempted murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment in June.

Other officers receiving commendations included PCs Sean Spivey and Paul Thistleton from Filey, who in February searched a submerged car in a river at Scarborough because they feared people may be trapped in it, and PCs Tony Edwards of Knaresborough, Michelle Dougall and Dave Foyston of Harrogate, and Vicky Hudson from Settle, for their bravery in dealing with an extremely violent man who was resisting arrest in Harrogate in November last year.

Two commendations were also being presented on behalf of the Royal Humane Society, to Muriel Oates from Hull and Margaret James from York, for attempting to save a woman who died after a glider accident at High Ellington, near Bedale, in June last year.

Updated: 09:52 Tuesday, October 12, 2004