AN OFFICER who makes vandals clean up their mess has won a top police award.

PC Susan 'Pip' Walker, neighbourhood officer for Cholsey, has been named Oxfordshire Community Officer of the Year, and praised for making teenagers clean up their graffiti.

She said: "I enjoy front-line policing a great deal. It is very rewarding when I attend parish council meetings and fetes and people stop and talk to me, or kids run up to me and know my name.

"I feel honoured that people see me as a friend rather than just a member of the police."

The Community Policing Awards are an annual competition run to recognise staff who have excelled as a community officer, police community support officer (PCSO), special constable, student officer or volunteer. More than 300 nominations were received for this year's awards.

Hilary Beattie, 40, who has processed thousands of videos at Kidlington showing footage of wanted criminals, was named Volunteer of the Year.

Mrs Beattie, a former editorial assistant from Kidlington, has been a volunteer with the police for more than a year. Since joining as a volunteer in May last year, Mrs Beattie, who has an 11-year-old son, has processed more than 25,000 images.

Assistant Chief Constable Nick Gargan, head of local policing, said: "These nominations mean a great deal to us. These awards enable us to show to an internal and external audience what excellence looks like in local policing."

The winners will be presented with their awards in November.