A NEWLY-RECRUITED police officer from Newport has been awarded for his policing efforts.

PC Steve Phillips, 47, won South Wales Police’s Star Apprentice Student Officer Award at The Big Celebration event organised by Skills for Justice at the Millennium Stadium.

Mr Phillips was recognised at the ceremony for finding £14,000 worth of criminal money, several bags of cannabis, several large knives and an imitation firearm.

Mr Phillips, who was previously a special constable before being enrolled on South Wales Police’s apprenticeship programme, was nominated by his training supervisor Police Sergeant Gareth Prosser.

Mr Prosser said: “It is clear through the time he spent as a special constable, being tutored and now as an independent officer, PC Phillips has unrivalled dedication, enthusiasm, tenacity and professionalism. He is undoubtedly a role model, an officer everyone should strive to emulate.”

Bosses were impressed with Mr Phillips after he smelt cannabis coming from a vehicle and subsequently searched the passengers and the car. The driver was also found to be wanted for an assault and was arrested. Further property searches were then carried out, finding more cannabis and a set of scales and a further arrest at a house connected to the driver where almost £11,000 in Sterling and foreign currency was found.

Mr Phillips said: “I am a member of a big team and certainly did not expect any awards. It is an honour to receive such recognition and I would like to thank everybody involved in the programme, especially my police training team and tutor.”