A family of New York police officers caught up in the events of September 11 has made a special presentation to the Telegraph & Argus.

Diane Duguid left her Bradford home nearly 40 years ago for a life in New York with her American husband George.

As she watched the terrible events of September 11 on television and saw two hijacked planes fly into the World Trade Centre, her thoughts turned immediately to her husband and two sons, all officers with the New York Police Department.

It was mere chance that they were not killed that day. The Duguids' oldest son, George, a detective, was due in court in Lower Manhattan - near the Twin Towers - but the court time was changed, otherwise he would have been one of the first at the scene. His brother Andrew had just returned from honeymoon and was assigned to his Queens County precinct.

And George senior narrowly avoided flying into New York from South Carolina, where he was picking up a prisoner. The family's experiences appeared in the T&A's special feature commemorating September 11, and Diane corresponds regularly with the newspaper through our letters page.

Now she and George are in Bradford for Christmas and they visited the T&A offices to present a commemorative plaque to reader relations editor Mike Priestley. The plaque features special badges produced by the New York Police Department and Fire Department to commemorate the work of police and fire officers in the September 11 tragedy.

Diane said: "That day changed our lives and we will never be able to forget. I thank God that my family was safe but everyone in New York knows someone who lost loved ones."

George said: "The big question now is what will happen to the site. People are calling for a memorial park, but it's a valuable business site. There's a conflict between what the business community and the people want." After the World Trade Centre came down, the couple's oldest son, George, was assigned to the morgue, recovering and trying to identify victims. He has since helped with the massive clear-up operation at Ground Zero and at Staten Island, where all the debris was taken. Now he has developed a chest condition thought to have been caused by inhaling fumes from the debris.

"He's just trying to find anything that will bring some closure for the victims' families - he doesn't talk about it much," said George senior.

Diane, a former pupil of Buttershaw School, is looking forward to spending Christmas in Bradford with her mother and sister. She plans to meet Bradford volunteer Vicki Garwood, who helped out at Ground Zero. Diane heard about Vicki's efforts through reading the T&A.

She said: "I keep up to date with what's happening through the T&A and I've been in contact with many people through the letters page. I still feel close to my Bradford roots, thanks to the T&A. This presentation is our way of saying thank you."