TRIBUTES have been paid to a North Yorkshire Police officer who died at the age of 49.

Sergeant Tom Jackson died on May 4, one week before his 50th birthday, following a battle with lung cancer.

A former City of York Council employee, Sgt Jackson carried out a number of roles with the force, with neighbourhood policing, emergency response, and custodial roles.

Inspector John Downham was a colleague of Sgt Jackson, and praised his work ethic and personality, calling him "a credit to himself and the job".

Insp Downham said: "Tom joined my shift as a student officer 11 years ago. He was a methodical and intelligent man and initially he was very quiet and shy. Tom soon became an integral part of the team and got on really well with everyone. He went on to be promoted and in January 2014 he ended up back on my shift as a Custody Sergeant in Harrogate.

"Tom was a very well thought of and respected officer. He was an honest and genuine guy. He was extremely selfless, both in his work life and his personal life. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Tom and I also enjoyed spending time with him outside of work."

A spokesman for the North Yorkshire Police Federation said: "He chose to keep working for as long as he was able to, and we are hugely grateful to the close colleagues who supported him."

Sgt Jackson is survived by his wife Angela and their two sons.