A shopkeeper who grappled with a robber carrying a knife and chased him into the street has won a police bravery award.

Annette Lazaruk, 66, of the Chocolate Box newsagents, in Thame, was presented with her commendation by Oxfordshire's police commander, Chief Supt Brendan O'Dowda.

Traffic warden Peggy Long, 61, from Thame, who was off duty at the time, picked up an award for noting down the registration number of the robber's getaway vehicle.

Oxford police commander Supt Andy Murray praised Mrs Lazaruk during the commendation ceremony, held at Thames Valley Police headquarters in Kidlington.

He said: "The man had a scarf around his face and he got within inches of Annette and held a knife and pushed it towards her, demanding she opened the till.

"Annette tried to stall the man by engaging him in conversation, in the hope that another customer would come into the shop.

"The offender repeated his demand and as he did, she instinctively grabbed the notes from the till and prevented him from getting the money.

"She bravely grappled with the offender, managing to prevent him from taking all of the cash."

He fled with only £80, with Mrs Lazaruk stopping him taking a further £200, Supt Murray added.

Mrs Lazaruk, of Towersey, near Thame, chased him outside, where Mrs Long had seen the masked robber running down the road to his car and made a mental note of the registration.

Police were called and James Scott, 33, of no fixed address, was later arrested. He is now serving a three-and-a-half year prison sentence after admitting a charge of robbery over the incident in February.

Awards also went to Pc Chris Miles and Pc Charlie Ellis, for saving a man who was threatening to leap from Marston flyover on to the A40 Northern Bypass in Oxford.

Pc Miles said they were nearing the end of a night shift in March when they spotted the man.

At least three times the officers physically blocked him from reaching the edge of the bridge, then when he climbed up the fence, they hauled him down and restrained him.

Pc Miles said: "It was a case of right place, right time. I honestly believe he was going to jump.

"We had 101 things going through our mind, with traffic, closing the bridge and the bypass beneath and trying to stop him from jumping. I think we saved a guy's life."

Awards were also presented to Dc Craig Burchall and Dc Rob France, who both won commendations for working to reduce burglaries in Oxford.