The heroics, hard work and pure professionalism of York police officers and citizens has been highlighted at a special ceremony hosted by the city's Lord Mayor.

Commendations and certificates of appreciation from Central Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gary Barnett, were presented to 17 police officers, two civilian police staff and three members of the public by Lord Mayor of York Coun Irene Waudby at the Mansion House.

Introducing the awards, Ch Supt Barnett said: "I think the quote is 'For evil to triumph, it is only necessary for good men to do nothing'. Lord Mayor, everyone here did not do nothing. They took action and good resulted."

Awards were made not just for courageous frontline action, but also for dogged determination beyond the call of duty.

Special Constable Paul Bushby tackled a violent man who attacked him and a female colleague at York railway station.

PC Tony Rothwell was off-duty on a shopping trip with his family when he persuaded a man threatening to jump from an A64 flyover at Copmanthorpe to climb back to safety.

Detectives whose work saw Tang Hall killer Jason Wade convicted of perjury were also praised. They were Detective Sergeants Dean Robinson and Nigel Costello and Detective Constables Craig Wilson, Trevor Dove and Paul Radford.

Wendy Hardy, a civilian support staff worker on the help desk at York police station, took control on the telephone when a woman threatened to jump from a Scarborough cliff.

PC Jeremy Richardson tracked down a knife-wielding youth who robbed a Tadcaster shop and helped to build the case against him.

Cool-headed PC Hamish Holloway helped to end a rooftop siege in Bromley Street, York, by calming down a man armed with a knife.Passer-by Lindsay Goddard went to the aid of a woman threatening to jump from a road bridge at Grimston Bar. PCs Debbie Harper and Andrew Haigh and Inspector Garry Marchant all helped to deal with the situation.

PCs John Rowland, Julian Pearson and Louise Farrar stopped a petrol-doused woman from setting herself alight in her flat in The Groves.

Members of the public Michael Naylor and David Clark swung into action to help police catch thieves escaping from the B&Q store in Hull Road.

Margaret Holmes, from the Administrative Support Unit, worked tirelessly on a long and complex case where a woman prisoner had falsely claimed she was raped by a prison officer at Askham Grange Prison.

And PCs Steve Mullins and Mick Asquith defused a dangerous situation where a mentally unstable man, drunk on turpentine and whisky had armed himself with seven knives and barricaded himself in a Micklegate flat.

Updated: 11:01 Friday, June 29, 2001