A POLICE sergeant whose knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm have contributed directly to a significant drop in road collisions and casualties has been made an MBE.

Sgt Peter John Sculpher, from Blackburn, has more than 26 years’ policing experience, of which the last seven years has been dedicated to roads policing.

He has also volunteered for 23 years in the scouts and works every week at the St George’s Mill Hill Scout Group.

He said: “When I got the letter I was absolutely gobsmacked, I thought it was a wind-up. I don’t consider I have done anything special, I just like helping people, but to be recognised is fantastic and very humbling.”

Meanwhile a police chief who led the response to the Burnley riots in 2001 has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal.

Deputy Chief Constable Chris Weigh, right, was promoted to superintendent in March 2001 and was soon embroiled in some of the worst violence the county had ever seen.

The 48-year-old has been a police officer since 1984 and has helped deliver the force’s ‘Beyond Expectations’ campaign, aimed at ensuring the quality of service delivered to the public, and the ‘Sustaining Excellence’ programme of delivering the force’s organisational reviews.

He has been the deputy chief constable since November 2009.

He said: “I am delighted to receive this award. I have been very lucky to work with great people in a great organisation and I am very proud of this achievement.”

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan offered his ‘warmest congratulations’ to them.