A POLICEMAN who remained doggedly determined to get his man, despite being injured and threatened by a hammer-wielding robber, has been commended for his bravery.

PC Brian Strickland, 33, was cut with a kitchen knife as he struggled on the ground with one of two armed thieves after a £21,000 raid at a travel agent's in Dockray Street, Colne.

He was threatened with the hammer by the robber who said he would kill him if he did not back off.

But he continued his pursuit over a 10ft barbed wire fence, 12ft wall and two more barbed fences before catching the raider in the driveway of a house.

PC Strickland also recovered the cash, hammer and knife and the thief later received a four-year prison sentence.

The Burnley-based bobby has received an official commendation from the Chief Constable of Lancashire, Pauline Clare, for his actions during the incident which occurred last October.

PC Strickland, who is married with a young child, will formally receive the award at a special ceremony at police headquarters in Hutton later this year.

Superintendent Alf Hitchcock, operations manager of the Pennine Division, said: "PC Strickland displayed great courage and tenacity and in pursuance of his duty showed little regard for his own safety and rightly deserves this honour."

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