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War-weary police swap Sudan for UK

Tom Rowley
26/ 9/2007

TWO policemen swapped patrolling their war-torn African country for the relative calm of Glossop.

The two officers from the Sudan - which has suffered from a civil war between the mainly Muslim north of the country and the predominantly Christian south for decades - were part of a 10-strong delegation who this week paid a visit to the Derbyshire Police B Division, which includes the Glossop region.

Inspector Stuart Thompson, of Glossop Police, said: "They visited the police station on Monday and went out on patrol with officers in Glossop town centre and visited our safer neighbourhood teams in Hadfield and Gamesley on Tuesday, to see how we gather intelligence in the community."

Inspector Tony Dales of the police community intelligence unit in Buxton - who helped organise the government-funded visit - added: "There is a ceasefire at the moment in Sudan but it is still a tense situation.

"The delegation were all senior officers who were keen to learn about our policing methods so they could develop a policing plan to help to pacify their country.

"Officers from Sudan have also visited police forces in Nottinghamshire, Lancashire and Portsmouth."

l As of last Thursday retiring chief constable David Coleman had raised around £20,000 from his 160-mile trek through Derbyshire, which he started from Glossop police station on 23 August with his driver Graham Macdonald and staff officer Tracy Harrison.

The police chief, who is stepping down after more than 30 years with the force, ends his 'Chief on the Beat' challenge tomorrow (Friday) at the police headquarters in Ripley and five local charities are in line to benefit from his hard work.