A NORTH Yorkshire police officer who has won four commendations during her 23-year career was among those presented with a long service and good conduct award at a special ceremony.

Officers and civilian staff from all over the force area attended the ceremony at police headquarters, near Northallerton, where the awards were presented by Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell. Guest of honour was the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Philip Ingham.

Among those rewarded was PC Tracy Smales, a member of the western area road policing group covering the Harrogate and Richmondshire districts.

Since 2001, she has dealt with 127 road accidents, six of them fatal.

During her career, which began in 1984, she has received an area commander's award for dealing with a violent man armed with a knife, and a judge's commendation for her work during an investigation into a teacher accused of indecency.

She also received a chief constable's commendation after dealing with a fatal motorcycle collision that left many bystanders severely traumatised, and another area commander's commendation for showing exceptional initiative and support to a colleague at the scene of an attempted suicide.

Other long service and good conduct awards went to:

* Special Constable Lorraine Maiden, of Knaresborough, who developed a safety awareness project for primary school children last year;

* Special Constable Nigel Kettlewell, of Malton, who received a chief superintendent's commendation for his dedication and professionalism in 2004;

* PC Christopher Hill, of Ripon, who already has a judge's commendation for work on a public disorder case and an area commander's letter of praise for action in the arrest of four burglars;

* PC Mick Wilkinson, a licensing officer in York, who holds a crown court commendation and a chief constable's commendation;

* Sergeant Kevin Dunn, of Scarborough, who received a commander's letter of praise after rescuing a woman from the sea;

* Sergeant Harry Finlay, of Harrogate.

* Long service awards were presented to civilian staff Dawn Laycock, of Northallerton, and Margaret Holmes, of York;

* A chief constable's certificate of merit went to Sergeant Bruce Prendegast for work in developing a strategy to increase detection rates