A police team which helped bring a machine gun robber to justice has been rewarded for its investigation.

The team of eight from Toller Lane, Bradford, and a forensic scientist came together in December 1998 after a spate of armed robberies in the city.

An Uzi sub-machine gun was a feature of several of the raids at building societies, jewellers and post officers in the Duckworth Lane area of Bradford

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Sedgwick, of Toller Lane Police, said officers established a link between the offences.

Their work led to a search of Rashid Ashraf's home in Kensington Street, Girlington, where officers found an Uzi in a bedroom drawer.

The next day Amjid Rashid and Zulfiqar Ali were arrested. All three men denied any involvement in the offences.

The team set about the job of gathering evidence, finding witnesses and carrying out forensic tests.

Ten robberies, two attempted robberies and two burglaries were detected and in February Ashraf, 19, was jailed for 12 years. Ali, 18, was jailed for eight years and Rashid, 19, for four years.

This month the team - DC Steven Morley, DC Max Barton, Det Sgt Paul Kelsey, PC Andrew Jackson, PC David Hartley, DC Christopher Hoare, DC Stephen Parkin, PC Michael Wilson and Mrs Cathy Turner from the Forensic Science Service - were presented with Certificates of Merit.

Presenting the team with their awards, Toller Lane divisional commander, Chief Superintendent Phil Read, commended them for their dedication.