DOZENS of officers gathered for the annual Brighton and Hove Divisional Police Awards last week.

The event was held at Sussex County Cricket Club and revealed some of the best attributes of those who serve us all on a day-to-day basis.

We learned about officers who had at times risked their own lives in order to keep our communities safe.

Some went above and beyond the call of duty, often without having to think twice.

Their immediate instinct, and their training, was to help others in need.

Without their efforts, a great many tragedies would have been reported in these pages.

We learned about a young officer who scaled a half-demolished building to talk to a distressed woman “dangling” over the edge of the ruins, five storeys up.

Then there were officers confronted by knife-wielding criminals after road rage incidents.

It is clear that without the police being there, a great deal more harm could have been caused.

Their efforts are a rare example of the inspirational work of our emergency services.

The awards also highlighted that it is not always the frontline officers who are worthy of praise, but many who we do not see also do their bit to improve public life.

And of course we must not forget the public who have also helped bring criminals to justice, such as the Lloyds Bank staff at the Preston Circus branch who helped detain a fraud suspect who was fleecing a pensioner.

They are all shining examples of all that is best in our city and show that there is a great deal to celebrate in our community.