HEROES of their local communities have been nominated for awards.

The Cleveland Community Safety awards, introduced by Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger, are held annually and this year take place at Redcar & Cleveland College tomorrow night (WED).

The awards recognise the efforts of those in the police, housing organisations, and the private and voluntary sectors.

Categories include Neighbourhood Police Officer of the Year, Young Community Volunteer and Community-Minded Business, among others.

Nominations range from a police officer who gave "outstanding" support to a young victim of child sexual abuse, to a volunteer who turned her own personal tragedy into a crusade to promote fire safety across the area.

Cleveland Police Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer and Deputy Chief Constable Iain Spittal will be presenting the awards.

Mrs Cheer said: “As a force we strive to serve our communities and I’m extremely proud that we have members of our local communities, officers and staff who have been nominated for doing such a good job."