Two police officers have been recognised for their efforts in seeking justice for an extremely vulnerable victim and showing great tenacity and diligence in pushing for the case to come to court.
Detective Inspector Matt Belshaw and Detective Constable Lisa Atkinson conducted a thorough and professional investigation into significant injuries sustained by a baby which resulted in a bleed on the brain.
The father of the child had sought to conceal the truth of his role in the child's injuries, claiming instead that the child had stopped breathing whilst being fed.
However, the officers in the case were determined to get to the truth and hold the parent to account for their actions and lies, which resulted in him eventually admitting one offence of cruelty to a person under 16 years.
Detective Inspector Belshaw said: "The injuries suffered by the child were significant but, thankfully, they did not result in any long-term damage.
"Detective Constable Atkinson and I left no stone unturned to get to the truth and hold the father accountable for his actions."
The commendation for the officers was supported by Detective Superintendent Jenny Beattie.
Det Sup Beattie said: "The Detectives are quite rightly being commended for their meticulous hard work during the course of this investigation. It was their tenacity and their desire for the truth to come out which resulted in the case being put before the court.
"I hope this example of thorough and tenacious detective work sends out the clear message to offenders in Cumbria that, no matter how challenging or painstaking an investigation may be, our teams will leave no stone unturned to get to the truth and secure justice for victims."