A SPECIAL Constable, who is now in training to become a regular police officer, has won a National Policing Award.

He was the only officer in the MPS to receive an award and was the announced the winner over applications from 42 different police forces in England and Wales. Ravi Canhye was a volunteer police officer in Ealing from April 2006 until this month, when he resigned to join the force full time.

Ravi was an Employer Supported Special Constable, on the Hospital Watch policing scheme.

He worked at Ealing and West London Mental Health Trust as a mental health carer in his full time job, and dedicated his time as a special constable to creating a strong partnership between the local policing team and the NHS and to making the Trust a safer place for staff, patients and visitors.

Yesterday, Wednesday June 17, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) recognised Ravi’s excellent and innovative work as a Hospital Watch Special Constable and awarded him the National Employer Support Award out of all policing forces in England and Wales.

The judging panel was impressed with the initiative Ravi had shown in taking his experience from his day job as a mental health carer and applying it to pioneer the Hospital Watch Scheme.

Ravi worked tirelessly to ensure that local police were correctly identifying Mental Health issues and officers were confident in dealing with individuals appropriately, as well as ensuring effective partnership work between the hospital and their local safer neighbourhood team.

Jo Rapley, special constabulary coordinator for Ealing said: "Ravi was an exceptional special constable who always gave above and beyond what was required of him.

"It was a great loss for Ealing Special Constabulary when Ravi resigned, however, having Ravi as a full time officer out on the streets of Ealing will be a great benefit to MPS and the community in Ealing."