THE work of Eastleigh employees has been recognised with a major award.

Rail Community Officers (RCOs) from Eastleigh railway station scooped a customer service award from South Western Railway.

This year the company has celebrated its very first Excellence Awards to recognise the employees who go the extra mile for customers.

The Eastleigh RCOs were recognised for the work they do alongside the British Transport Police (BTP) and neighbourhood policing teams to tackle several issues including antisocial behaviour, petty theft and hate crime incidents.

They are based at Eastleigh railway station but cover a wide patch which also includes Salisbury, Fareham and Farnborough.

Steve Gregory, one of the Eastleigh RCOs who received the award, said: “We are delighted to be recognised for our dedication to safety. We work with so many different partners to ensure the railway is as safe an environment as possible so this award is as much about teamwork as it is about just one group of RCOs. This award means a lot to all of us at Eastleigh.”

They were presented with their award along with a number of their colleagues who were also honoured for their contributions.

Andy Mellors, South Western Railway’s managing director, said: "I am proud of all of our Excellence Awards winners who have provided first class customer service over the past year. They represent the very best of our company values and clearly love the work that they do."