Walsall police given awards for armed robber rescue
Three police officers who rescued a young family from four violent burglars armed with sledgehammers, have been given awards for bravery.
Darren Bond, Pete Emery and Robert Cresswell found a mother and her two young children outside their home in Walsall.
Her husband, who was discovered tied up in the hall, had been attacked by masked men who forced their way into the house in February.
All four men were jailed for robbery.
Speaking before the award ceremony earlier, PC Bond said the men were still inside the house when the three of them arrived.
"Realising they were trapped inside, they turned on us with the sledgehammers but we managed to deploy CS spray through a damaged door," he said.
"It was a real adrenalin rush."
The Chief Constable's Commendation is the highest honour awarded by police to officers.