Derbyshire Police honour bravery, dedication and outstanding work

Chief Constable Peter Goodman hosted a ceremony on Tuesday, December 12 which also saw the announcement of Cadet of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

Detectives were also commended for their work to solve major crimes such as murders and robberies.

Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: “It is always a real honour to present these awards, which allow us to recognise some of the outstanding work that takes place across the county each day.

“Our award winners should rightly be proud of their achievements; they are a credit to the force and the communities they serve.”

•Brave members of the public

A Derbyshire Constabulary Award for bravery was presented to Luke Searston and Jill Carrington-Lowe, who were shot at during an armed robbery at the Co-op in Whitwell in January.

A third member of staff, Adam Wolfenden, was also threatened by the robbers.

DCI Greg McGill said: “These three members of staff showed incredible bravery during an extremely frightening experience and I am so pleased we can recognise them in this way.”

•Murder investigators honoured

Judge Gregory Dickinson commended the team who investigated the murder of Geoff Seggie in Mackworth at the hands of his son, Daniel. Daniel attacked his father with a knife and a hammer last November and was later jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 20 years.

The case was particularly challenging as Daniel fled to Scotland before his father’s body was found, sparking a manhunt.

DCI Gareth Meadows said: “It’s great that the judge chose to acknowledge the hard work of the team in this way. It was truly a team effort and involved many officers and staff, all working together to bring Daniel Seggie to justice.

“In a time where our work is being recognised, it’s only right to remember that Geoff lost his life and my thoughts are with his family, who must face a second Christmas without him and that’s compounded by the fact that the man responsible for his death was Geoff Seggie his son.

•Tackled dangerous man

Brave PC David Bull was commended by the chief for arresting manslaughter suspect Ryan Belfon following a violent struggle. Belfon was wanted in connection with the death of Derek Levers (86) and when PC Bull saw him, he chased him and the pair struggled leaving the police officer with injuries.

•Chief’s constable’s commendation

Special Constable Nick Parish was given a chief’s constable’s commendation for helping a suicidal man who intended to jump from a bridge in Willington last winter, while PC Joseph Middleton received a Royal Humane Society award for saving two men trapped in a burning car in Heath last August.

•Bank robbers stopped by quick-thinking officer

PC Naomi Biggin was commended for stopping two bank robbers in Dronfield. She was a PCSO at the time and responded to a report from the public that two men were in a car near the bank, acting suspiciously. She went to investigate and while waiting for back-up, received a call about an attempted bank robbery where the description of the suspects fitted the two men in the car. She seized the keys and detained them until armed officers arrived, finding a knife and demand note in the back of the car. The pair were later jailed for 11 years.