Sheffield pensioner’s heartfelt gift for kind police staff who calmed him during panicked call
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Mike Allen, aged 85, rang police when his wife failed to return home at her normal time and reported her missing.
She was in fact fine and well having just got on the wrong bus but Mr Allen wasn’t to know that.
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Hide AdJemma Edwards and PC Melaine Fergusson managed to calm him down during the panicked phone call last month.
Mr Allen wrote a letter of commendation praising the two police staff to chief constable Stephen Watson.
In his letter, he described himself as being ‘taken under the wing’ of Jemma who was ‘calm, capable, practical and reassuring’ with follow up calls from PC Fergusson described as showing ‘comforting competence’.
Mr Allen also gave them a couple of bottles of sparkling wine.
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Hide AdChief Inspector Becs Horsfall, deputy head of force communications, said: “I am very proud of Jemma and Melaine; our call handlers often deal with people who are under great emotional strain and it isn’t an easy job, especially when they are upset or worried about a loved one.
“I am heartened to hear what great service Mr Allen received from these two members of staff, fortunately he did not need further assistance from us, but the interaction he did have obviously made an impact. A little bit of recognition goes a long way.”
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