Remarkable acts of bravery and dedication to public service have been highlighted at the Chief Constable’s annual awards ceremony.

We take a look at the stories behind the commendations presented to serving officers and members of the public at this year’s event, held at the Villa Marina on Tuesday afternoon.

Police officers often have to confront real danger without warning.

In the early hours of Sunday, January 21, last year, Constables Dan Joyce and Anne Tyler were on routine patrol in Douglas when they spotted a vehicle being driven at speed on the promenades.

They followed it into Queen Street, where it went into a small off-road car park. The officers blocked the entrance and exits with their van.

The front seat passenger fled, leaving the driver alone inside. He locked his door.

They pulled him out the vehicle via the passenger door but he began to struggle and broke free. After a brief chase Constable Joyce caught hold of him.

A violent struggle ensued, with both falling to the ground. As they did so, the driver managed to grab hold of Constable Joyce’s baton, which he then used to strike the officer in the face.

As he made to strike him a second time, Constable Tyler placed herself in the way and prevented her colleague form being seriously injured.

Together the officers restrained the man. They both needed hospital treatment.

Both officers were formally recognised with a certificate of merit for their courage in dealing with a very violent man.

Visible and determined police activity is sometimes critically important if the public is to feel safe.

Between February and May last year, anti-social behaviour by a group of young men in Peel escalated to the point where they felt that they could commit crime with impunity.

Local people became frightened of them and in one weekend in April 2018 they gang committed 16 crimes, doing so confident that no one would make a statement to the police.

Constables Alison Stokes and Graham Best built up the trust of victims and witnesses, some of whom were afraid.

In the summer, a court imposed anti-social behaviour orders on the two main offenders, attaching to them stringent conditions. There was an immediate and considerable reduction in crime and anti- social behaviour as a result.

The two constables were recognised for their excellent work and persistence.

Sometimes ordinary members of the public find themselves in extraordinary situations, where they are required to react quickly to traumatic events.

This happened to nurse Gemma Whiting in July last year when she came upon a fatal accident on the Mountain Road involving a motorcyclist and a car containing three young adults.

The scene was a terrible one and Ms Whiting tried to treat the motorcyclist, but his injuries were not survivable.

Turning her attention to the people in the car, she helped them out and took them to a safe place on the roadside, where she comforted them.

For her outstanding actions, Gemma was formally commended.

Thankfully, knife crime is still extremely rare in the island. But there is no place for complacency.

In September Constable Kellie Walker was on patrol alone in Mona Street, Douglas, when she came upon the aftermath of an assault.

A woman had suffered significant injuries and her attacker, a prolific and violent offender, was still close by.

Constable Walker went to arrest the man, who stated to run away. She ran after him and, as she did so, she noticed that he had a knife protruding from the waistband of his trousers.

Continuing the chase, the officer providing a running commentary on her radio.

She closed on him and her quick and clever thinking led to her pluck the knife from his trousers as got within reach of him.

He was arrested soon afterwards by another officer, who had arrived to help.

Constable Walker was formally commended for her courage and determination in chasing and disarming an armed man.

It is no exaggeration to say that split-second decisions can mean the difference between life and death.

On the morning of Friday, April 27, last year a woman called a doctor to tell him that she intended to end her life and that she was on Douglas Head.

Constables Mike Griffiths and Paddy Moore were sent to find her.

After a while Constable Moore spotted the woman, who was sitting right at the edge of the cliff, above a sheer drop.

He decided to approach her out of her line of sight, so that he could get close to her but without frightening her.

He managed to get to within about 10ft of her when his radio burst into life, which caused the woman to try to jump from the cliff.

He flung himself at her and managed to catch hold of her.

She struggled and the two of them were in a very precarious position at the cliff edge.

Unable to summon assistance by using his radio, as he was having to hold the woman with both hands, Constable Moore shouted for help.

Constable Griffiths heard his shouts and he ran to the scene, where he pulled the woman to safety. She was then taken to hospital.

Some time later the woman’s family sent a message to the officers, which included a recent photograph of her, with the message: ’XX, whose life you saved, thanks you very much’.

The two bobbies were formally commended for saving her life.

They received a second commendation for saving another life - that of a man who had previously tried to take his own life and was missing from home.

The pair found the man at Port Skillion. He had clearly been in the sea and had injuries consistent with falling or jumping from a height and seemed close to death.

But the two constables managed to revive him and he survived the ordeal.

Paddy Moore received a third commendation for his role with a second officer, Stephen Hall, is preventing a man jump off a ledge at Chester Street car park.

Constable Gemma Berry was awarded the Isle of Man Newspapers’ community police officer of the year award. She was unable to attend the ceremony and her trophy was presented on her behalf by Sergeant Wendy Baker.

McDonald’s manager Andrew Dossor was presented with a community partnership initiative award for his role in preventing the area around the fastfood outlet from being a hotbed of crime and disorder.

For several months, damage, noise, violence and litter became commonplace in the area surrounding McDonald’s.

Mr Dossor took a series of measures, some of which appeared to have the potential actually to damage his business, in order to reduce problems.

Examples included changing the opening hours, installing better lighting and having extra staff. His efforts were successful and a big drop in incidents followed.

One award was an opportunity to put right a wrong and to recognise the bravery of an officer more than 30 years ago.

One evening in October 1988 a man went on a rampage in Ramsey after a close relationship ended.

He stole a digger from his employer and drove around the town smashing whatever lay in his path.

Constable David Hopkins was on duty in the town and, driving a Ford Escort van, he was sent to try to intercept the digger.

He found it in the car park of the Shoprite supermarket, and fearing it would be driven into the crowd that had gathered there, Constable Hopkins placed his vehicle between them and the digger.

The man indeed drove towards the crowd and rammed the digger into the police van, turning it onto its roof, with Constable Hopkins still inside.

Showing great bravery, he struggled out and, despite being injured, gave chase.

Radio communications were patchy and it took a little while for sufficient officers to arrive and arrest the young man.

Constable Hopkins suffered a lot as a result of the incident which effectively brought an end to his service but he was never given due recognition or reward.

But this week he received a formal commendation, the award being accepted on his behalf by his wife Lesley and son Peter.