TWO officers who went the extra mile to help an adult with learning difficulties have been honoured for their work.

PC Darren Rogers and PCSO Alex Cave, both based at Consett Police Station, helped a 57-year-old man from the town who had recently suffered the loss of a close family member.

He was proving to be a significant drain on resources by making up to five calls a day to the police.

Officers received more than 100 phone calls from the man, during which he regularly threatened to take his own life.

Each time police would respond, tying down officers for potentially hours at a time, so instead, PC Rogers volunteered to be the single point of contact and got to know the man better.

After a number of meetings with mental health teams and housing providers, officers helped his family get him a place in a nursing home.

In the 12 months since they were able to secure him the help he needed, police have not received a single call from the man.

Chief Constable Mike Barton said: “We are proud to embed problem solving as the core element of how we think about making a change to the way society works.

“Hearty congratulations to everyone involved. I am proud of the enthusiasm, tenacity and analytical prowess of these people.

“There’s some fantastic thinking going on in the organisation which improves the lives of the people living in County Durham and Darlington.”