A Thames Valley Police officer has won a top national award for his work in tackling youth crime in West Oxfordshire.

PC Simon Collins has been awarded the National Justice Award for his work in dealing with underage drinking and anti-social behaviour.

PC Collins, who works within the West Oxfordshire Safer Communities Partnership, has successfully developed alcohol education workshops for under 18s who have been caught drinking. He was also heavily involved in producing ‘Too Wasted’, a DVD package for secondary schools which focuses on the consequences of underage drinking.

PC Collins was one of 45 finalists who were selected from more than 700 nominations spanning the entire Criminal Justice System.

West Oxfordhsire’s police comander, Chief Insp Jack Malhi, said: “Since he became our district’s schools officer, PC Collins has done some excellent work with young people. He has played a central role in the work we, and our partners, have been doing to reduce underage drinking and youth crime, much of which is drink-related.

“To win this award is a great success, but for an officer working in a rural area to be recognised in this way ahead of other teams from large, urban police forces is an outstanding achievement. I think it is an achievement that everyone working to make West Oxfordshire a safer place can be proud of.”