AN off-duty police officer who faced up to a gang of masked, armed robbers will receive a force's leading bravery award.

PC Phil Clapham will be presented with Durham Police's Matt Wilkinson Trophy at a ceremony at the force's Aykley Heads headquarters tonight.

The 32-year-old was shopping when he gave chase to three masked men carrying holdalls after they ran out of Shotton Colliery Post Office, in County Durham, last June.

During the pursuit, one of the gang shouted "shoot him", and another turned and pointed a handgun at him.

When the cries of "shoot him'" were repeated, PC Clapham stopped, raised his hands and backed off. The gunman then turned and fled with his accomplices.

Despite the threats, PC Clapham continued to follow them and saw them get into a blue BMW saloon and drive off. Crucially, he made a mental note of the registration plate.

He returned to the post office, called colleagues and passed on the information, which resulted in the arrest of four men.

At Newcastle Crown Court in March, the gang, three from the Durham area and one from Gateshead, were all convicted of attempted robbery and received sentences totalling more than 40 years.

The men fled empty-handed from the post office, which had been due to take delivery of £30,000 in cash that day, after staff hit panic alarms.

PC Clapham, a member of the community policing team in Peterlee, left court with a commendation from the trial judge for behaving "in the most conspicuously brave way and entirely without regard for his safety".

Community Inspector Paul Harrison said it was remarkable that PC Clapham continued to give chase after he had been threatened.

He said: "Despite his involvement in this personally traumatic and extremely dangerous situation, he obtained vital evidence.

"And, more remarkably, he went back to the post office and began to look after two members of staff and other traumatised members of the public and started gathering information from possible witnesses."

Also at the ceremony, PC Kim Kitching, a 28-year-old officer whose outstanding potential was recognised during her training, will receive the force's Probationer of the Year award.

Dog-handler PC David Robinson, 33, and his 18-month-old canine sidekick Zak will receive the annual John Turner Trophy.

It was on their first official outing that the pair tracked down a man in difficult terrain, leading to the offender being convicted of driving while disqualified, drink-driving and theft.