The Sex Discrimination Act may have brought its fair share of controversy and problems, but at Bideford at least it has one compensation – the town now has its first woman police officer.

But any locals who feel they might ‘get away’ with anything when faced with a slim 23 year old brunette instead of a burly six-fott ‘bobby’ are likely to be sadly disappointed.
For WPC Christine Short of Westward Ho! is an experienced officer, having served with the Bristol force for two and a half years and then at Barnstaple before moving to Bideford. “I arrested several while at Bristol” was her cool reply when asked what she would do if confronted, for instance, with a drunk.
Her posting to Bideford was something of a homecoming for Christine, for her parents, Mr and Mrs William Pickett, live at Burrough Road, Northam.
She lives with her husband Tony – also a police officer – in a Westward Ho! police house.
The full Gazette article is dated 6 February 1976