The past few weeks have certainly seen plenty of change across Government, with a new Prime Minister in Boris Johnson and a radically changed cabinet, including the key postings for policing of Home Secretary (Priti Patel) and Policing Minister (Kit Malthouse). One of the Prime Minister's early policy announcements has been to make good on his campaign commitment to recruit 20,000 more police officers nationally. While we obviously await detail of how this will be achieved in practice, this is clearly good news.

In most national formulae, Warwickshire receives around one percent of the total award, which if applied to this latest recruitment drive could mean up to 200 extra officers here in Warwickshire. This would be extremely beneficial, not least that if taken alongside the investments I have made in new officers over the past two years (more on which below), it would take the total headcount in the county beyond policing levels last seen in 2010. Warwickshire currently has among the lowest number of police officer per head of population in the country, so this is something I will strongly be arguing can be corrected through this recruitment drive.

It's also really positive to hear the new Home Secretary say that there is to be a "new relationship between the government and the police working even more closely together to protect the public". I look forward to working with the new Home Secretary and Policing Minister in order to deliver a safer and more secure Warwickshire.

The National Police Bravery Awards are always an enjoyable and inspirational evening which I attend with the Chief Constable to support our force nominees and their families in what is a prestigious celebration of the courageous acts that take place every day in policing.

This year's event was even more rewarding as it was Warwickshire officer PC Andrew Dear who took the overall trophy.  Andrew was first on the scene of a serious car accident near Atherstone and went to help the most injured person, who was trapped between the roof of the upturned car and the road. The car was ripped in half, with the top half of the man’s body ejected though the sunroof and he was trapped with a severe head injury. The wreckage of the car was leaking fuel and there was a real risk of a major fire or explosion.

Without a second's thought for his own safety, Andrew scrambled into a 10-inch gap under the roof of the car, so that an airway could be maintained and to take some of the weight of the car on his back. The casualty was drifting in and out of consciousness and bleeding badly, so Andrew constantly talked to and reassured him. There was a real risk of the fuel catching fire, but Andrew stayed with the casualty, which allowed a paramedic to secure an IV line and stem the bleeding. Andrew placed himself in a dangerous and life-threatening situation, refusing to leave the man and helping to save his life.

I am delighted that Andrew's actions have been recognised as being the bravest of the brave. It’s typical of the modesty I see in many police officers that, despite this accolade, Andrew does not think he did anything different to what another officer in the same circumstances would have done that night. This award demonstrates that that is not the case and his actions have been recognised at the highest level nationally as something very special indeed.

I know that everyone across Warwickshire will be delighted by this news and grateful to have officers of the calibre of PC Dear working in our communities to keep us all safe. This is in the finest traditions of Warwickshire Police and I am sure our residents will be very pleased, like me, to see him rewarded in this way.