POLICE officers and citizens whose courage and quick-thinking have saved lives and fought crime won praise at an awards ceremony in York.

York's police chief, Superintendent John Lacy, and the Lord Mayor of York, Coun David Horton, presented awards to 16 officers and two members of the public at the area commander's annual presentation at the Guildhall.

The event was hosted by the mayor on behalf of the people of York, Selby, Tadcaster and Sherburn - the areas which make up North Yorkshire Police's Central Area.

Supt Lacy said: "We often take for granted the good work carried out by officers and members of staff and indeed members of the public every day.

"The purpose of this ceremony is to recognise some extraordinary police work and some extraordinary deeds by members of our community. People who do such deeds are often generally modest and say, 'I was only doing my job'."

Traffic Constable Chris Redin won a commendation for talking down a woman who was about to throw herself to her death from a bridge over the A64 at Grimston Bar, York.

PCs Kevin Umpleby, Pete Dimberline, Jo Wragg and Heather Campbell were presented with commendations for their handling of an investigation which ended with the conviction of a knifeman who stabbed two people in a disturbance in Lawrence Street, York.

A commendation was presented to PC Paul Hopson and a certificate of appreciation was awarded to member of the public, Kelvin Thewliss, for pulling a man to safety after he threatened to throw himself from Skeldergate Bridge, York.

Detective Sergeant Steve Smith, PC Phil Bird and Detective Constable Gary Ient were presented with commendations for their dedicated investigation which trapped a gang of thieves behind a string of raids on curtain-sided lorries parked on the A1 in North Yorkshire.

Retired PC Steve Rodgers won a commendation for his tireless work as a community bobby, part of which led to six court orders being granted to stop a gang of youths terrorising Foxwood.

Police Sergeant Christine Gardner was presented with a commendation for tracing a suicidal man to Scotland and talking him out of killing himself, on his mobile phone.

Bravely taking on two youths he spotted stealing bottles of spirits from a shop in Shipton Road, saw member of the public Richard Shrimpton presented with a certificate of appreciation. Despite being headbutted and threatened with a hammer, he held on to one of the pair until police arrived.

Commendations were also awarded to PCs Julie Hallam and Paul Moring, who stopped a woman jumping from a bridge over the A64 at Tadcaster, PCs Steve Knubley and Paul Hopson for saving a man who threw himself in the River Ouse in York, and to PC Paul Beckwith who, as a probationary constable and while off duty, detained a burglar after a struggle.

Updated: 11:32 Friday, June 21, 2002