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PoliceA Selection of News Articles Related to Police

Long service

3 January 1964

Debt to 'Specials'

3.1.1964 Specials

In the first issue of the New Year it is appropriate to acknowledge with thanks the voluntary service of Special Constables, and in particular the recent promotion of Mr T C Bird, after 32 years' service to the position of Area Officer for the Bideford district.

Mr Bird, who has for long been identified with the success of Bideford Rugby Club, has succeeded Mr G W Blackman, MBE, who has also served the town in many ways , including 16 years's service as Area Officer and as the Secretary of Bideford Horse Show Society.

Mr Blackman has received a certificate of thanks for his long services to the Special Constabulary.

Gazette article dated 3 January 1964

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Constable Elias Palmer

19th Century

The story of Bideford’s first policeman begins in 1835

after the passing of the Municipal Corporation Reform Act which both reformed many previously corrupt councils and also allowed the newly re-organised bodies to develop services not previously provided. In Bideford’s case this meant two things to start with – lighting the town and the hiring of a paid policeman. 

Up until that time Bideford, as in virtually every other town, had been policed under the parish constable system whereby a group of men were elected every year to fill the post of constable. This system, though cheap, was generally inefficient as men of standing and wealth in the community, if elected, hired substitutes, many of whom were not of the proper moral standing to be a constable. Also the job was unpopular because if you charged your neighbour with an offence during your year of office he could well do the same to you merely for revenge during his term as constable! The Municipal Corporation Reform Act did not

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The Gray Family

17 April 1970

Westward Ho! Family

17.4.1970 Police WHo family

17.4.1970 Police WHo family1


It was no surprise to Mr and Mrs J W Gray, of ‘Tidworth’, Atlantic Way, Westward Ho! when, one after another, their two sons and daughter found jobs that put them in uniform.

John, at 21 the ‘baby’ is a corporal in the RAF Police. He is now serving in the Overseas Command at Sharjah, in the Trucial Oman States, Persian Gulf.

After completing an apprenticeship at Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Robert, joined the Merchant Navy in 1967. Robert’s wife Marion and daughter, Sally Anne, also live at Tidworth.

Carole left Stella Maris School at the age of 16 and worked at the offices of Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd before joining the police in 1966.

17.4.1970 Police WHo family2

Gazette article dated 17 April 1970

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Torrington Specials

21 October 1947

Tribute to their work

When he recently visited North Devon to present medals and bars to members of the Special Constabulary in recognition of their services, the Chief Constable of Devon (Lieut-Col. R R M Bacon) paid tribute to their valued work and assured them that the Special Constabulary would continue to play a very substantial part in the police machine of the County.

This picture shows the Chief Constable addressing ‘Specials’ at Torrington.

21.10.1947 North Devon Specials

Among those in the picture, on the left, are Messrs G B Blatchford, F R Hodge, J J Jenkins and A E Muncey.

Article dated 21 October 1947

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Will continue to live in the Bideford area

16 June 1967

Police Inspector D T P Cowling and Sergeant R Honeywill,

16.6.1967 Police retire

both of Bideford, who joined Devon Constabulary together on August 1st, 1937, are soon to retire – on the same day, July 31st.

They have been at Bideford since Inspector Cowling was appointed the town’s police chief in 1962 after having served as sergeant at Seaton for seven years. Previously he was at Newton Poppleford.

During the war he served in the RAF in the Middle East, having been one of the first batch of pilots to train in South Africa.

He is a member of the county police water polo team, having swum for them since he joined the force, and he formerly played rugger for the country police team.

Road safety has always been a particular interest. At Seaton he organised cycling proficiency tests for children and he is a keen member of Bideford Road Safety Committee. He holds the Queen’s Coronation Medal.

Sergt Honeywill is senior sergeant at Bideford. He was stationed at Crown Hill, Bampton, Torquay, Lifton and Okehampton...

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Homecoming

6 February 1976

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.

6.2.1976 Christine Short

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

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Life saving actions

4 May 1973

Two local police officers who risked their lives last November to rescue a 15 year old Bideford teenager from drowning have been awarded the Royal Humane Society’e testimonial on vellum.

4.5.1973 police heroes

They are PC Peter Murphy, who lives in Clifton Street, Bideford, and Motor Patrol Constable John Truelove who lives at Westward Ho!
The boy they rescued, Paul Reeve, of the Stores Café, Barnstaple Street, Bideford, had gone into the River Torridge to swim to his parents’ boat when he got into difficulties in the ice cold water.
A 999 call brought the two officers to the scene and between them they brought the boy to shore safely.
Paul’s father, Mr Roy Reeve, said afterward: “We would have lost our son if it had not been for their action which was beyond the call of duty.”
Gazette article dated 5 May 1973

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Old Boy of BGS

19 November 1954

 Old Boy of Bideford GS

19.11.1954 Gutsell

His many friends in the Bideford and Northam districts will be pleased to learn of the recent promotion to Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police of Mr Cecil Gutsell, only sone of Lieut. W F Gutsell RN (retd) and Mrs Gutsell, of Inglenook, Northam.

Sergeant Gutsell, who is 25, joined the Poice, after completing his National Service in a Royal Marine commando, in November 1949, and his promotion after a minimum of five years makes him one of the youngest Police Sergeants in the British Isles. He passed an open competitive promotion examination in February of this year.

He is an Old Boy of Bideford Grammar School where he was captain of the School rugby XV.

Gazette article dated 19 November 1954

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Was the road safety organiser and instructor

3 July 1964

After nearly 27 years’ service in Devon Constabulary, PC Leonard Clarke, of Bideford, is to retire to take up the position of rent and rate collector to Bideford Rural Council.

3.7.1964 Leonard Clarke Bideford

During the nearly four years that he has been stationed in Bideford, in which he was born, PC Clarke has shown a keen interest in road safety and has been road safety organiser and instructor for local schools.
Another important responsibility was that for the administration of the Special Constabulary in the town.
He began his career in the Force at headquarters and his first station was Teignmouth. Subsequently he served in other parts of South Devon as well as at Woolacombe and Torrington. He now lives at 30 Moreton Park, Bideford.
The Rural Council on Tuesday agreed to offer him the post of rate and rent collector at a salary commencing at £755-£780 a year from August 1st, 1964. He will be paid a travelling allowance of 9d a mile and the appointment is subject to the Local Government Superannuation Acts.

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Was it ever claimed?

7 June 1963

Police Constables Len Clarke and Ron Fayter made an unusual arrest at the bottom of Bideford High Street at 1am on Wednesday.

7.6.1963 pony

The offender was a pony that was about to take off up the street. It was caught and put into a field. Yesterday morning it had not been claimed.
Gazette article dated 7 June 1963

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Great composure

4 May 1973

Because of their road sense

4.5.1973 Yelland and Butler

Russell (6) finds his way home

Police were called in and Bideford streets searched this week when six years old Russell Yelland, staying on holiday with his grandparents at Westward Ho! became separated from his parents while they were shopping.

Just over an hour later the search was called off when Russell walked calmly into the Beach Road home of his surprised grandparents, Mr and Mrs Arthur Davies, and explained “They left me in town”.

During his three-mile walk from Bideford to Westward Ho! he had negotiated 11 busy road junctions but Russell told his parents Mr and Mrs David Yelland, on holiday from Germany where Mr Yelland is stationed with the Army: “It was all right – I learned my highway code at school.”

And he added: “I didn’t cry, people might have laughed at me.”

The only previous occasion he had travelled the route was by car.

Andrew (10) is reported by police

A policeman on patrol car duty watched carefully as a young Bideford schoolboy rode his...

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