Help desk assistant Anne Sharp stayed super-cool when a man brandishing an axe appeared at the police station counter.

Anne, who works at Keighley Police Station, remained calm, talked to the man, who was making threats, and asked him to put the axe on the counter.

The man "who was obviously agitated" agreed and stepped back from the counter at Anne's request. She then picked up the axe and calmly walked into the back office and called for assitance -- before returning to the counter to talk to the man, who was eventually arrested on a wounding charge.

Anne's courage was only recently revealed at the Keighley Police Divisional awards ceremony. She received her award from Chief Superintendent Sarah Sidney.

The citation praised the calm and professional way she dealt with the incident.

Anne was one of a number of civillian staff who were honoured at the evening at the Bankfield Hotel.

Town Centre Warden Peter Haddock was given an award for his "strong will and quick thinking, which led to the arrest of four men for an alleged serious sexual assault."

The audience was told that Mr Haddock was helping police to guard the scene of an alleged rape in Keighley.

He was approached by four men who tried to persuade him to enter the secene.

The warden stood his ground despite being verbally abused, and the men left in a car.

Mr Haddock gave the car registraion number and descriptions to police, who arrested the four who turned out to be the suspects for the alleged rape.

The case did not proceed on the direction of a Judge, due to the victim's refusal to co-operate.