Every West Yorkshire Constabulary and British Transport Police officer who served on the front line of last year's Bradford riots has been rightly honoured by the Government for their bravery during the disturbances.

At times, it was only the thin blue line that stood between the rioters and innocent by-standers. Without them, the extensive damage to property and the level of injury could have been much worse.

It was the local bobbies who were first on the scene of what became known as the fiercest mainland rioting in Britain for 20 years.

Reinforcements were eventually brought in from across the country to quell the violence, but in the initial hours it was officers from right here in Bradford who tried to contain the rioting.

In the face of petrol bombs, bricks, scaffolding poles and stolen vehicles, the men and women refused to allow their ranks to be broken in what became an eight-hour battle.

Elsewhere in today's T&A you will read of efforts being made to move on from the riots of a year ago, to look at ways of making sure they never happen again. It is quite right that Bradford should be looking to the future rather than dwelling on the past.

But it is also only fair that credit is given where it is due, and no matter how much training the police officers of Bradford and West Yorkshire receive, nothing could have prepared them for the harsh reality of what occurred on July 7, 2001, and it is proper that Prime Minister Tony Blair personally acknowledged the debt that is owed to these brave men and women.