TWENTY people who work for Thames Valley Police will be recognised in a ceremony at Drayton Park Golf Club today.

Police officers, staff and members of the public from across the Force are to be awarded with Chief Constable's commendations, long service awards and certificates of service.

Constable Murray Maclean, of Oxford police, is commended for his professionalism in preventing the potential suicide of a man from the top of a building in Oxford.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "This was a traumatic and highly charged situation and despite putting himself at risk, the officer managed to pull the man to safety."

Benjamin Tucker, a member of the public, is commended for responding to the calls for help from a woman who had been robbed by a man on a bicycle at Oxford rail station in October 2006.

Mr Tucker pursued the robber, even when sustaining a head injury and subsequently was able to correctly identify him.

Constable Gary Froud (Roads Policing Abingdon) is commended for his professionalism and courage in saving a woman who was trying to jump off a bridge in Oxford in March 2007. He managed to pull the woman back over the railings and to safety.

Detective Inspector Ian Hunter, of Abingdon BCU intelligence, is commended for his outstanding work on behalf of the force as the lead for the Cherwell LPA Priority Crime team since its inception in April 2005. The spokesman said his drive and enthusiasm h ensured the team's continued success in raising detections for burglary of dwellings.

Certificates of service, awarded on the occasion of their retirement from the Force, will be presented to: Detective Sergeant Paul Gibbard, who has worked at Aylesbury, Buckingham, Milton Keynes, Bicester and Banbury, and latterly with the Organised Crime Group. He will continue to work within that department as a member of police staff.

The following people are being honoured with long service awards after completing 22 years' service with the force: Detective Constable Neale Baker (Specialist Operations, Headquarters), Martin Burge (Reprographics, Headquarters), Detective Sergeant Kevin Davies (Specialist Operations, Headquarters), Colin Keenan (Control Room, Abingdon) James Mara (Fingerprints, Headquarters), Acting Inspector Ian Washington-Smith (Local Policing, Headquarters).