Special Constable hangs up his hat

After 27 years of volunteering, Scott Blackett has now left his role with Northumbria Police's Special Constabulary... but he's not left the Force!

During his time with the Special Constabulary he rose through the ranks and in 2004 was appointed Special Constable Commandant. And after 14 years he has become the longest-serving volunteer in this role.

He will continue in his full time role within the Force Resilience Unit.

Chief Constable Winton Keenen praised Scott's fantastic commitment to the Force.

"The contribution of all of our volunteers is fantastic and their commitment to protecting the people of the North East cannot be overstated - especially when you consider many perform this role on top of having a day job," he said.

Scott himself praised the work of the whole Special Constabulary, and its growing influence which he has witnessed across the past 27 years.

He said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Special Constabulary and would recommend it to anyone. I've had the opportunity to work with some fantastic officers and staff over the years and I'm immensely proud of the work our Special Constables carry out every week."