A TEAM of special constables have been commended in an awards ceremony held at the Home Office.

Redcar and Cleveland Special Constabulary were presented with a certificate from Minister of State David Hanson to commend their hard work and ability to deal with issues that affect the community.

Mike Cleasby, Specials Superintendent at Redcar and Cleveland, said: "A team of 22 Special Constables have dedicated a large amount of their free time to reduce the fear of crime within the borough of Redcar & Cleveland.

“Officers have carried out a range of duties including high profile foot patrol, use of mountain bikes and plain clothes duties.

“During the last 12 months we have carried out over 190 arrests and the team average over 1000 hours of patrol time each month.

“We are very fortunate to have effective partnership working with regular police officers and other partners to ensure we are all focussed on making our communities a safer place.

“I am honoured to work with such a committed team, and we will work together to improve our performance even further.”