Officers involved in the Khan murder case and a major drugs operation received commendations.

Five officers were rewarded for their leadership and management of the 'complex and sensitive' inquiry into the arson attack on a house in Magdalen Road, Oxford, which killed Anum Khan, nine and her brother Majid, 15, in August 1997.

Det Chief Insp Michael Tighe, Det Insp Brian Jessop, Det Sgt Jonathan Hughes, Det Sgt Paramjit Grewal and Det Sgt Dermot Norridge were all leading lights in the inquiry, which eventually saw five people jailed for the murders at Birmingham Crown Court.

Haq Nawaz, 31, his brother, Mohammed, 21, Thomas Liedl, 19, and Alan Swanton, 19, all of Letchworth and Haroon Sharif, 21, of Morrell Avenue, Oxford, were jailed for life. Riaz Munshi, formerly of Oxford, was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter. Sharif's mother, Parveen, and three relatives Sadaf, Asfa and Saimah Sharif were all found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice for providing an alibi for him.

Eleven officers involved in Operation Jeopardy in Banbury, which focused on drug supply and related crime, also received recommendations from Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Sir Charles Pollard, for their dedication and professionalism. The operation was launched in October 1999 in response to intelligence which indicated that the supply of Class A drugs was increasing and there was a direct link to the rise in crime in the area.

The work of Det Insp Brendon O'Dowda, Det Sgt Kevin McGuire, Det Sgt Mark Sinclair, Det Con Graham Cherry, Det Con Keith Jones, Det Cons Steven Butler, Det Con Stephen Haddock, Sgt Steven Duffy, Pc Bruce Riddell, Pc Ian Gore and Pc Kirsty Bishop led to nine dealers appearing before Oxford Crown Court, where they received prison sentences totalling 42 years

Six officers now working in the county were commended for their investigation into the murder of Jonathan Coles in Milton Keynes in June 1998. They were: Det Chief Insp Euan Read, Det Sgt Mark Sinclair, Det Con Kevin Lewis, Det Con Roy Thornton, Det Con Grant Berry and Det Con Steven Butler. Three people were convicted of murder and a fourth of manslaughter.