POLICE officers from the region were praised for their bravery at a national awards ceremony but narrowly missed out on the main prize.

Officers from Durham, Cleveland and North Yorkshire attended the Police Bravery Awards 2016 in London on Thursday after being selected as their forces’ finest.

Durham’s representative was PC Paul Canvin who foiled an attempted armed robbery at Sheldon’s newsagents, in Willington, last September, by wrestling one assailant to the ground until police arrived.

Four men were convicted in relation to the crime.

Cleveland’s PC Jonathan Ryan was put forward after he risked his life to save an elderly man from house fire.

Andrea Breeze, chairman of the Cleveland Police Federation, said: “If it were not for the actions of PC Ryan, there is a high chance that this man would not have survived. This officer put the safety of another person ahead of his own.”

And four officers who overpowered and disarmed a violent teenager who had just killed his friend got North Yorkshire’s nomination.

Constables Steven Harvey, Martin Scott, Dave Ellison and Alex Gregory detained 19-year-old Sam Donley after he stabbed Liam Miller in York last July and provided first aid at the scene. Mr Donley was jailed for manslaughter.

All three forces’ entrants missed out on the overall prize to West Yorkshire PC Sean Cannon, who repeatedly entered a burning home to save a family.