TWO police officers, who were key to securing a conviction in a cyclist fatality case at Bentley last year were among those whose bravery, dedication and professionalism were celebrated at a special awards ceremony.

The joint operations unit commendations ceremony saw 25 officers and staff, and three police dogs, recognised for excellent service and courage when faced with threatening and daunting scenes.

PC Emma Clifford, from the forensic collision investigation unit, and PC Dave Mitchell, from the serious collision investigation unit, both based in Eastleigh, were recognised for ensuring a dangerous offender was taken off the roads and jailed after mowing down a cyclist on the A31 Alton to Farnham road while texting on his mobile phone.

Despite having no independent witnesses to a collision which resulted in the death of the cyclist, PC Clifford and PC Mitchell made sure they got the evidence needed to put the driver responsible behind bars.

The incident happened on August 12 last year when cyclist Lee Martin, 48, was riding along the A31 near Bentley, and was struck from behind at speed by a transit van. The father of two died from injuries.

Initial investigations showed that the driver, Christopher Gard, 30, from Alton, had previous convictions for using his mobile phone behind the wheel and had only been in court six weeks earlier.

PC Clifford and PC Mitchell began a thorough investigation but there were no witnesses to confirm Gard was using his phone.

Despite this they presented “a superbly compelling case” showing that Gard had in fact been texting and had then deleted a number of messages from his phone before it was seized by police.

In their commendation it was stated that: “PC Clifford and PC Mitchell went to great lengths to prove this and it is testament to the quality of evidence submitted that Gard had no option but to plead guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

“He was sentenced to nine years in jail and disqualified from driving for 14 years and six months.

“Their outstanding work and meticulous investigation skills not only provided a positive outcome for the victim’s family but ensured a dangerous offender who had tried to escape the consequences of his actions was brought to justice.”

?The two officers were honoured for this work during a ceremony at Sulhamstead police training centre in Berkshire, hosted by joint operations unit Chief Superintendent Stephen Williams, to recognise the bravery and quick-thinking actions of the recipients who are part of the Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police joint operations unit.

The joint operations unit is a collaboration between Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police which covers three broad areas of policing – operations, roads policing, and firearms.

The unit was formed to bring together highly specialised units and teams with a vast array of skills to protect the communities within the two force areas.

Chief Supt Williams said: “Hearing the inspiring stories of our officers makes me feel very proud to lead this joint operations unit.

“Every day our officers are out there, serving our communities, never knowing what they will face and these examples we have heard at this ceremony just goes to show the dangers they can be confronted with and how lucky we are to have people who are willing to stand up for what is right.

“I am immensely proud of the dedication of our officers and staff who go above and beyond to keep our counties safe.”