POLICE officers across the county have been commended for their outstanding work for the force and community.

The officers were handed their awards by Chief Constable Peter Hampson at a ceremony at West Mercia police's Hindlip Hall headquarters yesterday.

Rural beat manager PC Charlie Cavendish was awarded the Wychavon Trophy in recognition of his compassionate community work.

The trophy is given to the top community officer in the Wychavon district area each year.

PC Cavendish has helped set up and support a number of youth clubs across the Eckington, Drakes Broughton, Strensham, and Upton Snodsbury area which he polices.

He has also established a farm watch scheme for farmers in the area, and was praised for his work in liaising with growers during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Other projects he has been involved in include the setting up of police surgeries in Upton Snodsbury and Bishampton, community rural crime groups, and he has also raised £2,000 sponsorship to pay for a Bobby Club magazine to be sent out to children aged between five and 11 in the area.

Finance officer Freda Blackstone has been awarded the High Sheriff's Millennium Award, which recognises the top force support staff member of the year.

She joined the Worcester division in 1984 and has been a member of the force welfare team for many years, helping colleagues and retired members of staff with personal problems.

Her professional standards and willingness to help colleagues, often in her own time, were singled out for praise.

Bosses said she had become an essential part of the divisional team.

The final award of Dog and Handler of the Year was given to PC Simon Garrett and his dog, Major.

They have proved themselves to be an outstanding crime-fighting team, catching the robber who stole an 85-year-old woman's handbag, and two thieves who had made off with construction machinery from Worcester Royal Infirmary.