A policeman who was headbutted and suffered a puncture wound from a syringe as he made an arrest has been honoured.

PC Darren Russell was first at the scene at a shop in Brighton Road, Crawley, where a suspect was arrested for attempted deception.

The man was being handcuffed when he assaulted the PC, who was stabbed by a syringe needle hidden in the man's clothing.

PC Russell was one of 20 Sussex officers to be honoured with divisional congratulations at a ceremony.

Suspects Another award went to one of a team of Horsham traffic officers involved in tracking down five suspects who made off after a bank robbery in Billingshurst.

Four of the suspects ran off after their car crashed into a telegraph pole near Rudgwick.

PC Iain Pearce became suspicious when he knocked on a door at a nearby house and no one answered, even though lights were on inside.

He entered the house and found two armed members of the gang hiding and arrested both of them.

PC Richard Edwards received congratulations for negotiating with a potentially violent father at a Crawley address.

The man eventually agreed to hand over his baby who was taken into care.

Two officers have received awards for their roles in the investigation into the death of a two-month-old baby.

Detective Constable Michael Everest took notes at the scene which proved vital to the inquiry and Det Con Jane Hollebon worked under "extreme pressure" as family liaison officer.

PC Andrew Burfoot was recognised for his investigative skills which linked two mountain bikes to burglaries and PC Roy Stagg was congratulated for his idea of taking local beat surgeries on the road.

Other awards went to Det Con Stephen Skerrett and Andrew Luczkowski after ten arrests for burglaries, and to PCs Matt Edmunds, Trevor Goodchild, Gerard McKenna, Stephen Goodman, Steven Cardy, Paul Knight-Dewell and Sergeant Russell Sheppard for surveillance work and arrests.