Last act of kindness by police officer is rewarded

A mounted police officer on patrol in West Hampstead has been thanked by a homeless man she helped on her last day before retirement.PC Lou Richards, along with two colleagues, found a dog which had been run over, and helped find a vet, who treated him for free when he found out his owner was homeless.

Three days later, a Christmas card and a box of chocolates addressed to the 'Three Angels' arrived, from Darren Thornton and his dog Rocco.

It was PC Richards' last day with the Met, and she said: "This means more to me than anything else I've done in my career."