A POLICE sergeant from Spennymoor has been awarded a commendation by Durham Police chief constable George Hedges.

Sgt Sue Robinson, 32, was praised for her part in tackling a firearms incident in May, when she was a police constable based at Peterlee.

She responded to reports of an armed, drunken man on the Shotton to Haswell road, who was shooting at traffic with an air rifle.

When she asked him to drop the weapon, he shot at the PC and hurled abuse at her.

Sgt Robinson was forced to crouch behind her police car for protection as the man threatened to 'blow her head off.'

When he stopped to avoid being knocked down by a passing car, the brave policewoman rushed him and used her CS spray.

Helped by a passing motorist, she disarmed the man, who also had a small knife on him.

The man was later jailed for two years.