Dozens of police officers were honoured last night for their courageous acts, from confronting armed gangs to rescuing people from blazing buildings.

Chief Superintendent Alison Rose, Divisional Commander for Bradford South Police, hosted the event to reward patrol officers, detectives, police staff and members of the public for their bravery, quick thinking, hard work and dedication.

Among the recipients was a group of 12 officers, praised for their courage, resilience and professionalism in trying to save the lives of four people trapped in a burning stolen car which had crashed at high speed into a takeaway in Killinghall Road, Bradford, and exploded.

The force of the collision, in December last year, left the Subaru embedded in the building, setting fire to a gas main.

Officers ignored dangers to themselves in a bid to extinguish the flames and managed to remove one of the occupants from the vehicle.

PC Paul Smith showed particular bravery by climbing into the burning car to rescue a victim and try to revive him. PCs Lindsey Pickles and Kevin Tomkinson were praised for trying to resuscitate one of the victims in harrowing circumstances.

A number of other violent and dramatic incidents were marked with rewards to officers.

They included the arrest of a man armed with a large carving knife; the single-handed disarming of a man armed with a machete; the tackling of a gang wielding metal bars and wooden stakes to save a man from fatal injuries; and the rescue of a family from a blazing house.

Other awards were made for the professionalism and dedication of officers and staff in areas like intelligence research; the success of the capture car; support for those at risk of domestic abuse; drugs and firearms operations and an investigation into the kidnap of a vulnerable young person.

The Reverend Chris Howson and John Dinsdale were honoured for their continued commitment to the people of Bradford in leading the Street Angels.

PC Mark Plovie, who is retiring after 30 years on the beat around Bradford city centre, received a Lifetime Achievement award, and a number of judge’s commendations to officers, among them Detective Inspector Steve Snow, were marked.

Ch Supt Rose said: “These awards recognise the dedication to local communities of Bradford South Police officers and staff, as well as the members of public.

“This is an opportunity to thank not only them for all their hard work, but to thank their families and friends for the support they give their loved ones in doing what is often a very difficult and demanding job.”