Sergeant Sophie Clement admits her role as Wolverhampton’s sex offender manager is stressful and challenging.

But it is clearly a role in which she excels since, at the Force’s Diamond Awards Ceremony in March, Sophie was presented with the Police Officer of the Year Award which is sponsored by West Midlands Police Federation.

Sophie was one of three officers put forward for the award.

Her nomination details in the Diamond Awards programme stated: “A natural leader, she has created a committed team who are focussed on excellence and will do anything to help one another.

“Her gut reactions are second to none. An offender’s chance comment was enough for Sophie to ask the forensic examiner to look for evidence of what she correctly suspected as downloading of child porn and breach of a sex offender prevention order.

“Her dogged determination also saw her challenging the CPS to gain a successful European arrest warrant for an offender who had been missing for five years.”

Sophie also currently supports the management of very high-risk offenders at a national level.

The runners-up for Police Officer of the Year were PC James Bradley of Wolverhampton NPU, praised for his encyclopaedic knowledge of offenders and his city centre patch, and DC Tom Keady of the Public Protection Unit who was described as a highly experienced and effective role model with an infectious sense of humour despite challenging times.

The Force’s annual Diamond Awards were hosted by Chief Constable Dave Thompson and the compere for the evening was BBC Midlands TV presenter Joanne Malin.

The Police Officer of the Year Award recognises outstanding service by individuals, over and above what is required as part of their normal duties.