THE bravery and professionalism shown by a group of police officers was honoured at a ceremony yesterday.

Fifteen officers were awarded special commendations by North Yorkshire Chief Constable David Kenworthy, at force headquarters at Newby Wiske, near Northallerton.

PC Julian Wood, of Scarborough, received his honour after dealing with three separate harrowing incidents in late 2000.

In the first, he detained a man for attempted murder after another man was left wounded on St Thomas Street, Scarborough.

The citation said: "In the second incident, PC Wood helped to restrain an armed man who was barricaded into a flat and was threatening police officers.

"And in the third, he managed to track down a stolen car, which was also carrying equipment, suggesting the occupants could have been on their way to commit a burglary."

His Scarborough colleague Graham Payne was rewarded for risking his life to help a woman trapped in a crashed car, which had started to leak fuel.

PC Payne had kept in touch with the woman since the accident and it was she who wrote to the Chief Constable, recommending the officer for an honour.

The recipients also included Sergeant Andrew Duffield and PC Lisa Black, of York police.

They tackled an armed and distressed man who was threatening to kill himself at Tang Hall, last August.

The citation read: "The man was sitting in a room with a broken window and had barricaded himself in, blocking all other entrances.

"When it became clear he could have taken his own life, PC Black jumped through the broken window in order to restrain him, closely followed by Sgt Duffield."

Harrogate officers Stephen O'Brien and William Hickson were commended for arresting a heavily-armed man who had threatened a mother and son in an incident in the town.

Other commendations went to: Det Cons Ian Illingworth and Angela Hullah, and PCs Steve Taylor, Catherine Baty, Karl Middlemiss, David Ellis, Kevin Brookes, Gordon Graham, Philip Bean.

Long service and good conduct medals went to: Superintendent Paul Ackerley, Acting Inspector Steve Taylor, Sgts Glenn Jackson, David Pegg, Paul Thompson and Gawen Dickinson, and PCs Rick Green, Clive Lister, Neil Morton, Paul Stephenson, and Paul Woolford