Thames Valley Police officer receives bravery award

PC Du Plooy said receiving the honour was "very unexpected"

A Thames Valley Police officer who was repeatedly punched in the face but still chased and detained two drug dealers has been given a bravery award.

PC Lucy Du Plooy was in the town centre of Banbury, Oxfordshire, in July when she witnessed a drug exchange.

When she tried to arrest the dealers in a blind alley, they knocked her down, kicked and dragged her on the ground.

The suspects fled but she chased them on foot and called for back-up and together they arrested two youths.

A total of five officers received cuts and bruises while making the arrests.

Zombie knife

PC Du Plooy said receiving the honour from Thames Valley Police Federation was "very unexpected".

She said: "I was going about doing my day-to-day role really, but it's nice to be recognised for what we did."

PC Du Plooy spotted a knife tucked into the waistband of one of the youths during the initial attack, and a 3ft-long (91cm) machete and a zombie knife were later found dumped in a bin.

"My adrenaline was running pretty strongly afterwards," she said.

"I had quite nasty bruises and grazes all over my back and my arms.

"But I felt relieved that I was OK, considering the circumstances, and the fact that we'd caught them, because we didn't know who they were.

"For me, I knew the only thing was to get these two people off the streets and away from the members of the public... that's all I had in the back of my mind."

'Without fear'

The offenders were found guilty of drug dealing, possession of an offensive weapon and assault.

One was sentenced to youth rehabilitation and the other received a 12-month youth referral order.

Craig O'Leary, chair of the federation, said PC Du Plooy "made the brave decision to chase violent offenders, and despite being punched to the ground, she got up and continued to chase them".

"It is this sort of behaviour that policing is built on," he added.

"The decision to carry on in spite of the odds, without fear or favour."

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