Three female police officers who tackled armed robbers during an audacious bank raid in Birmingham involving a JCB digger are to receive the Medal of Valour.

Pc Kate Peplow, Pc Catherine Morgan and Pc Diana Shaw had a sawn-off shot gun pointed at their heads by the desperate criminals after rushing to intervene in the robbery in Handsworth, which had netted the gang £21,000 in cash.

In January last year three cemetery workers were tied up near the scene before the digger was driven off and used to ram a window at the bank.

The offenders, some armed, threatened three bank staff who were forced to hand over a large quantity of cash before a passing police car disturbed them and they ran off.

The three officers were on routine patrol and heard over their radios that an armed robbery was in progress. As they made their way to the scene, they saw five men in nearby Murdock Road.

Pc Shaw stopped her police car and as she did so, a gun was pointed at her. At the same time, Pc Peplow got out, approached the men and asked them what they were doing.

One of the robbers pointed a sawn-off shotgun to her head but Pc Peplow used her arm to deflect it before the offenders then ran-off towards a cul-de-sac.

The three officers chased after them and gave directions via their radios. Earlier this month two men were jailed for their part in the robbery, including career criminal and ringleader Norman Grant, 44, of Birchfield Road, Perry Barr.

Luke Daly, 27, of Holly Park Drive, Erdington, who was recruited to drive the digger, was jailed for a minimum of four years and 268 days. The trio travel to America to collect their award from the International Association of Women in Policing in addition to a West Midlands Association for Women in Policing commendation.