POLICE staff and officers who dealt with crashes where two people died have been recognised for their achievements.

The awards were handed out at a Force Operations Commendation Awards evening at Hindlip Hall.

Among those commended were police staff investigator Christopher Holt and Sergeant Stephen King, for the work they did following a crash near Worcester.

Rugby referee David Smith died, aged 59, after the black Volkswagen Golf he was driving was hit by a black Jaguar on the A4538, Pershore Lane, in October 2013.

John Shaw, who was driving the Jaguar, was later convicted of dangerous driving and jailed for 30 months.

Mr Smith, of Chippenham in Wiltshire, was president of the Somerset County Rugby Football Union and was on his way to the Warriors ground to be an assessor at a match.

Mr Holt, who was a PC at the time, was the principal investigating officer for the investigation, whilst Sergeant King, also a PC at the time, and another colleague were the collision investigators.

The pair were commended for their determination, investigative skills and professionalism whilst investigating a complex and difficult fatal collision.

Also given awards were PCs Neil Taylor, Richard Watkins, Robert Beales and Sergeant Stuart Allen from OPU Warwickshire, who were commended for their investigation into a crash that killed a pedestrian in Worcester.

Christopher Willmott died, aged 48, when a car travelling along Cotswold Way in Blackpole hit him in the early hours of the morning in August 2014.

He was stood on the side of the road with a group of friends waiting for a taxi after a night fishing trip when he was hit by a car driven by Helder Piña.

Piña pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to causing his death after losing control of his Peugeot 206 and also hitting a lamppost in front of Ford Bristol Street Motors.

The inexperienced driver was thought to be travelling at more than 60 miles per hour in a 30 limit.

He was jailed for three years in 2015.

All the officers involved worked a significant number of hours above and beyond what was reasonably expected, which eventually led to Piña's prosecution.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Cullen, Chief Inspector Steph Brighton and Chief Inspector Mark Colquhoun attended the ceremony.

The awards were presented by Superintendent Daryn Elton.

Police and crime commissioner for West Mercia, John Campion said: "In my role as commissioner I am honoured to hear the amazing work of our officers and staff.

"These awards are yet another example of how people have kept our communities safe, and I would like to thank them on behalf of the public."

T/Assistant Chief Constable Cullen said: "I'm very proud of every officer and member of police staff awarded this evening and I'd like to congratulate everyone on their achievements."

Also given awards were Sergeant Stephen Hastie, PC Laura Williams, PC Mark Bullingham and PC Mark Roberts for their roles in an investigation into a cannabis farm discovered in 2013.

Sergeant Billy Keys was recognised for stopping a man on the M42 who had a knife in his car.

PC Allan Byallas, Sergeant Matt Eddy and three other colleagues gained awards for investigating a fatal collision in Kidderminster in 2015.

PC Gethin Venn and Sergeant Craig Harris from OPU Worcestershire were commended for their response to a domestic violence assault in Worcester in September last year.

PCs Daren Riley and James Robinson received commendations for their life-saving skills on a woman who was unconscious and not breathing in 2015. The pair used a defibrillator and carried out CPR while waiting for paramedics.

PC Steve Heels from Operational Planning was commended for his implementation of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) within Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police.

Planning Co-ordinators Jenny Bryan and Samantha Sennett were commended for their enthusiasm and 'can-do manner.'

Simon Vaughan, an operations planner, was awarded a Superintendent's Commendation for taking personal ownership and responsibility of response plans.

The event was held on Wednesday, September 28.