YORK'S police chief honoured his officers for acts of bravery, determination and professionalism, in a poignant ceremony as the death knell was sounded for the county's police force.

Chief Superintendent Tim Madgwick commended officers and members of the public for their "exceptional" contribution to policing at an awards ceremony at the Guildhall yesterday.

He said the good work would continue under the force's impending merger with South and West Yorkshire and Humberside to create a regional "superforce".

He said: "The police service is under greater scrutiny than ever, and the events of the last 12 months have proved this to be the case. Yet time and time again my staff, with the assistance of the public, have risen to the challenge.

"There will be significant changes in the years to come, and the Chief Constable's meeting with the Home Secretary was about one such significant change.

"If we end up with a regional force, York central area will remain key to how we deliver policing, and we will continue to maintain a high standard of policing."

Among the officers commended were Detective Inspector Jon Reed, Detective Sergeant Nigel Costello and Detective Constable Alan Rowan, for their quick actions when a ten-year-old girl was abducted in Tang Hall, York, at knifepoint and taken to wasteland.

She managed to escape, and from her description the team recognised sex offender Philip Bargh, who was subsequently jailed for life.

Others commended include:

Detective Constable Adam Heatle and PC Stuart Hodge, who tracked down and arrested six armed robbers who had attacked a man with a baseball bat in March. Their investigation led to the men being convicted.

Detective Sergeant Steve Taylor, who ran the investigation into the murder of Simon Gilchrist, who was stabbed by his partner Caroline Mahwood in July. He had to take over with minimal resources because senior officers were heavily involved in tracking down serial killer Mark Hobson at the time

PC Paul Bailey, PC Stephen Armitage, and Detective Constables Mark Jackson, Joanne Wragg and Carl Nelson, who tracked down a man who had committed a serious sexual assault in Huntington Road, York, in February. Their work ensured he was convicted

Det Con Jo Wragg and PC Tim Jackson, who acted quickly when they found a woman who had been arrested for theft trying to strangle herself with her bra in a police cell

Members of the public Carl Schofield and John McLoughlin, who caught a thief who had grabbed £235 from an elderly man

PC Chris Groom and PC Dean Turner, who tackled a steroid-taking bodybuilder in Selby and seized 41 wraps of heroin from him as he tried to throw it down the toilet. PC Groom had only been a police officer for four weeks

PC Laura Gregory, who tracked down a couple who had fled to the Isle of Man with £7,000, which they had stolen from the York Arms pub while working there as relief managers.

Updated: 09:46 Thursday, March 23, 2006