TWO Suffolk detectives were hailed as the bravest police officers in England and Wales at a national awards ceremony.Stephen Stenson-Pickles and Mark Scott clinched the title at the annual Police Bravery Awards for risking their own lives to stop a jilted boyfriend who was about to blow up a petrol station in Bury St Edmunds.

TWO Suffolk detectives were hailed as the bravest police officers in England and Wales at a national awards ceremony.

Stephen Stenson-Pickles and Mark Scott clinched the title at the annual Police Bravery Awards for risking their own lives to stop a jilted boyfriend who was about to blow up a petrol station in Bury St Edmunds.

Last April at the Jet Garage in Tollgate Lane, Bury St Edmunds the two off-duty detectives had stopped to get some milk after their shift.

Peter Fieldsend, 24, had doused the petrol station in fuel and was planning to kill himself by setting alight to the premises because his girlfriend had jilted him.

Both officers grabbed Fieldsend and pinned him to the ground, but he was holding his lighter trying to ignite it as it lay in a pool of petrol and alcohol.

Dc Scott threatened knife-wielding Fieldsend, with his baton and he dropped the lighter and the pair arrested him.

Fieldsend, of Gloucester Road, Bury St Edmunds was later jailed for 15 months after admitting affray and criminal damage.

The officers later learned the petrol station had a fuel storage capacity of 36,000 gallons and scenes of crime officers were not allowed to photograph of the scene by the fire service because of the risk of explosion.

The ceremony was organised by the Police Federation of England and Wales and sponsored by The Sun newspaper in London

The awards were presented by the Prime Minister's wife Cherie Booth QC and Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Fred Broughton OBE, chairman of the Police Federation, said: "Dcs Scott and Stenson-Pickles are deserving winners who consciously put their own lives in jeopardy to prevent a disaster.

"They are worthy of the highest praise and we hope the Police Bravery Award goes some way towards recognising their heroism."