King's honours: Yorkshire traffic cop Paul Cording 'stunned' at medal after raising £21k for burgled crash family

Sgt Paul Cording, of North Yorkshire Police, is awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to policing and charity.

A passionate advocate of road safety, having attended more than 100 fatal crashes, Sgt Cording has given much of his time to raising awareness and supporting events.

The Harrogate officer - with endurance runs and marathons - has raised tens of thousands for charity, while he works with Road Safety Talks to hammer home a serious message.

Sgt Cording, who has long since passed his Inspectors exam but chose to remain in role rather than pursue promotion, has also used his social media presence to support victims. In one instance, after a six-year-old boy's mother and siblings were killed in a crash in 2021, only to find his home ransacked when he returned home, he raised £21,000 for the family.

Sgt Cording, thanking those who nominated him, said it came as a "massive shock".

"The post came and there was just this letter," he said. "I was speechless. I'm massively humbled. I find my best at trying to help people at their lowest ebb. Charities like Road Peace and Brake, they do fantastic long term work."

Sgt Cording, thanking his family and wife Michelle, said he was "lucky" growing up with parents who drilled the right values into him. He described the day job as a "vocation" as he hailed the inspirational efforts he witnesses every day of the entire emergency services family.

"I'm honoured to work with so many dedicated and professional people. I'm just the one who shouts loudest," he added.