A BURNLEY bobby who tackled robbers armed with a baseball bat and axe is to receive a bravery award.

PC Sean Cunningham, 29, was off duty when he went into a Spar shop in Melville Street, Burnley, in the middle of a robbery.

He disarmed a man with a baseball bat but was then confronted by a second man wielding an axe.

Both men then escaped, but the officer took their car number and both were later arrested. In June both were sentenced to a total of 12 years for robbery.

PC Cunningham will receive a bravery award from the Chief Constable on March 6.

Another Burnley-based officer, PC Jim Haydock, 37, who lives in Barnoldswick, will also receive an award for the Dog Handler of the Year. During 1995, PC Haydock and his German Shepherd dogLancon Ben did work which led to 79 arrests and the recovery of a considerable amount of stolen property.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.