Today the Western Daily Press celebrates the eyes and ears of neighbourhood policing – the top police community support officers in the region.

PCSOs have become a vital link between the police and the neighbourhoods they serve, walking the beat, providing a friendly face at public meetings and community groups, as well as gathering information.

In the second of our Avon and Somerset Community Policing Awards features, we reveal the district winners for this hotly contested category.

There were some close decisions for the judging panel made up of Avon and Somerset Police Authority chairwoman Dr Moira Hamlin; authority member Cllr Alan Ham; Daily Press assistant editor Andy Smith and Mike Parfitt, head of marketing, central government and home affairs for one of the awards' sponsors, BT.

They rewarded the PCSOs who, on a day-to-day basis, have personal contact with their local community and make a real difference in their neighbourhood by working with partners to develop long-term solutions to problems.

Overall force winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held on Thursday, March 5 at Cadbury House, Congresbury.

In North Somerset, Yvette Jordan was surprised when she was told that she was the district winner, having not even known that she had been nominated.

Based at Clevedon, she covers Congresbury, Wrington and Redhill with enthusiasm and determination.

Yvette, who will have been a PCSO for two years in May, said: "I didn't know I was nominated. It was a very nice surprise. Most people in the community know me by name now, which is nice. I'm very honoured to win this award but to win the overall award would be wonderful. It's nice when your hard work is appreciated."

One of her nominator's, Ian Sheppard from the Congresbury Youth Partnership, described her as a "valuable asset" to the community.

PCSO Laura Wheeler was highly commended.