TWO workers from the restorative justice team were praised at the annual police awards for their work.

Alex Hyatt and Mark Johnson earned commendations for their work in bringing victims face to face with offenders.

Their work allows victims to quiz those responsible, to ask questions about why crime was committed and get answers that they did not get in court.

Alex, pictured here with boss Kate Bebbin, worked on one case where a man held a family at knifepoint before going on the run for ten years. The offender was eventually caught and agreed to speak to the victims who were still traumatised.

Chief Inspector Rachel Swinney said it helped the victims be able to move forward with their lives, without having to look over their shoulders.

Alex said: “Restorative justice allows people to repair some of the harm.

“It has no advantage for offenders who have already been sentenced.

“Victims can sit in the same room, and look at the person in the eye, and ask all the questions they did not get to ask in court.”

He said that many offenders who meet with victims and see the impact their crime has had will leave prison with a better understanding, and many are less likely to commit crime again.