PC Shaun Jenkins was reinstated after losing his job with Gwent Police for gross misconduct.

A police officer fired for having sex with a married woman while on duty has not only been handed his job back – but has been given an award for bravery.

PC Shaun Jenkins, from Caerphilly, was already an award-winning police officer when he drove his patrol car to his mistress’ home, also in Caerphilly, and left a colleague waiting in the passenger seat while he spent up to 40 minutes in the house.

He was disciplined in November 2010 and, after a review, fired for gross misconduct in October 2011, but after an appeal to the Independent Police Tribunal he was reinstated in May last year.

And last night, the officer was given a Chief Constable’s Award for his role in saving the life of a woman threatening to jump off a flyover in Bargoed.

The incident happened in July 2011 – eight months after the original complaint about his affair and three months before he was dismissed, aged 35.

The PC, who already had two police commendations to his name, was originally only reprimanded by Gwent Police after the husband of his mistress reported their affair to police chiefs.

A disciplinary panel gave him a final warning, but the force was told to reinvestigate after the woman’s husband complained to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) about the “lenient” punishment, which had allowed the officer to return to patrolling the town’s streets.

Gwent Police confirmed in November 2011 that PC Jenkins had been dismissed but said he had the right to appeal the decision.

PC Jenkins – who picked up previous commendations for stopping a suicidal man jumping into a river from a bridge in 2006 and bringing offenders to justice after a large brawl in Ystrad Mynach in 2004 – successfully appealed his dismissal from the force last year.

And last night he won his latest commendation at a ceremony led by Gwent Police Chief Constable Carmel Napier for his role in preventing a woman jumping to her death from a flyover.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said: “A member of the public stopped PC Jenkins in July 2011 and informed him that a woman had climbed over the 5ft safety barrier on Bargoed by-pass with the intention of jumping 100ft onto the railway track below.

“PC Jenkins rushed to scene and began talking with the woman.

“He was joined by a paramedic and between them they each took hold of one of her arms to prevent her from jumping.”

PC Jenkins kept hold of her arm for 75 minutes until she was brought to safety by the fire service.

To do so, he had to balance precariously on a plastic box so he could stretch over the fence to reach her, as the woman all the while struggled to be released.

The spokesman added: “Both PC Jenkins and the paramedic, despite the behaviour of the woman and the difficulties of holding onto her, kept reassuring and building a rapport with her until the fire service were able to bring her to safety.”

Commenting on the force’s decision to re-instate PC Jenkins last year following his appeal, the spokesman said: “We accept the decision of the police appeals tribunal.

“Shaun Jenkins has been reinstated as a police constable. He is currently working as part of the Caerphilly Neighbourhood Policing team.”

Asked why PC Jenkins won last night’s award for an incident that happened almost two years ago, the spokesman added: “He was not a Gwent Police employee at the time the 2012 nominations were made or when the 2012 awards ceremony took place.

“As far as Gwent Police is concerned the disciplinary issue relating to PC Jenkins was resolved when the independent police appeals tribunal made its decision.

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