The actions of an off-duty officer and three members of the public were commended by the Chief Constable this evening.

Sergeant Dave Macdonald, who is based out of Whitehaven, was off-duty when he became aware of an incident at The Cambridge House Hotel in Millom on 2 April 2018.

A man was smashing apart a room in the hotel before leaving the room, covered in blood from his hands.

Sergeant Macdonald was joined by three residents at the hotel in restraining the man, who violently attempted to resist for some time until further police assistance arrived on the scene.

Two of those who came to the officer’ aid were Millom father-and-son Paul and Connor Sykes.

The men were commended for their actions after putting themselves in harm’s way and potentially preventing the offender from attacking other people or causing further damage.

The offender was arrested and subsequently convicted of criminal damage after causing an estimated £2,000 worth of damage to the hotel.

Chief Inspector Terry Bathgate said: “Sergeant Macdonald was off-duty at the time of the incident yet did not think twice about reacting and helping once aware of the situation.

“Connor Sykes, Paul Sykes and another man all stepped forward bravely to help ensure the incident did not spiral further out of control.

“The actions of the three men are certainly commendable and helped bring a volatile situation to a swift conclusion.”