YOUNGSTERS who have worked tirelessly to make their communities better places in which to live have been rewarded by the police.

Four Herefordshire schoolchildren have been named Good Citizens in a ceremony that saw them presented with certificates, lapel badges and a cash donation for their chosen charities.

The students, from Hereford and Leominster, were nominated by their schools and other organisations.

Winners were chosen by a panel of police and local authority representatives and presented with their awards by Divisional Commander Supt Guy Rutter, at Hereford Police Station.

Rebecca Brown, aged 13, has been a member of the St John Ambulance Hereford Quadrilateral Division since she was six.

"She's completed 500 hours of service. She's been involved in the Marches Playscheme, learned sign language and also helped a neighbour, among other things," said a West Mercia police spokesman

Sixteen-year-old Kim Edwards, who studies at Whitecross High School, Hereford, was badly hurt in a car accident, but battled back from her injuries to continue at school.

"She's shown great courage and dignity since then, and she's worked hard to catch up on missed schoolwork," said the spokesman .

Budding entrepreneur Judy Bridges, 17, from the Minster College, in Leominster, was also presented with a Good Citizen Award.

"Judy's a trained college befriender counsellor and has been a young Guide leader for the past seven years," said the spokesman.

"She's completed work experience in an infant school and is personnel director for a Young Enterprise company."

Manos Adoniadis, 15, from Aylestone School in Hereford, has worked with the St John Ambulance and is also an accomplished musician.

"He's recently been made a school prefect and generally contributes to all aspects of school life," said the police spokesman.