Honour for Shannon case officer

Mr Gayles said he was "extremely proud" to receive the honour

A policeman who co-ordinated the Dewsbury community's efforts in the search for schoolgirl Shannon Matthews has been honoured for his work.

Ch Insp Ian Gayles of West Yorkshire Police received the chief constable's commendation for his "exceptional work" during the inquiry.

Shannon's mother Karen and co-accused Michael Donovan were later jailed for her kidnap and false imprisonment.

Ch Insp Gayles said he was "extremely proud" to receive the honour.

The police officer's work involved leading the neighbourhood team who worked with the community and set up co-ordinated searches for the schoolgirl.

He was also involved in handling information from the community which related to the inquiry and setting up a traffic operation, stopping and questioning motorists.

Ch Insp Gayles said the inquiry had been challenging on both a personal and professional level.

The Dewsbury community played an active role in the search for Shannon

"There was a lot of desperation within the community to try and find Shannon so it was about focusing their efforts to assist the police," he said.

"We had to make sure people who wanted to search would not harm the police investigation forensically, so there were briefings and meetings.

"Rather than have them searching where the police were, we focused them around other events, like handing out leaflets at football matches.

"It was challenging because of the hours spent at work and the fatigue, but also because it is your area and you care about the people there. It brought us closer as a community."

He added: "I am extremely proud to receive the honour."

A huge inquiry was started by West Yorkshire Police after Shannon's disappearance on 19 February 2008.

The three-week search for the schoolgirl ended when she was found hidden in the base of a bed in a flat on 14 March.