A POLICE team who successfully investigated a multi-million pound fraud have been rewarded for their "excellent" work.

They were among members of the North Yorkshire force awarded commendations and certificates of appreciation at a ceremony in Newby Wiske, near Northallerton.

The ceremony was conducted by Detective Chief Superintendent Dick Mann, head of the specialist support department, who said: "These awards reflect the real dedication and commitment of the police officers and police staff in providing a quality service to members of the public."

Judge's Commendations went to the team who investigated the fraud case resulting in the extradition of Charles Forsyth from Australia and his subsequent conviction.

Forsyth ran a computer business with offices in Boroughbridge.

The investigators were Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Boynton, Sergeant Alistair Procter, detective constables Steve McGrail, Gary Duckwith and Paul Fenwick, and Amy Gilgrist, of the Case Building Unit at York.

Also commended at the trial was the late Detective Constable Jerry Coop, whose wife, Mandy, accepted the award on his behalf.

The work of the force's automatic number plate recognition (APNR) team, based at Tadcaster, was also recognised. Although two specific operations were highlighted as examples of their work, it was their overall achievement in making the team one of the top performing in the country that brought about their commendations.

In two operations 184 untaxed and uninsured motor cars were seized and removed from the county's roads, 38 arrests were made and more than £45,000 of stolen property recovered.

The team members were inspectors Ian Wills and Helen Taylor, PCs Richard Barnes, Christian Garbutt, Christopher Doyle, John Frankland, Ian Jefferson and Mick Edwards, and ANPR support officer Andrew McLagan.

Individual Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to two members of the public, Anthony Sparrow and Craig Bucknall, who regularly work with the ANPR team.