ONE of the best known police officers in Andover, crime desk manager Ted Reynolds, is retiring from the force after 30 years.

For the last few years he has been running the crime desk at Andover police station - but for many years he was a rural beat officer in Shipton Bellinger.

Ted, aged 53, joined Hampshire Constabulary in 1973 and went to police training school in Ashford.

"The hit song at the time was You Can't Get Me I'm Part of the Union and Colditz was one of the most popular TV shows," he said.

"And I remember that the training school at Ashford was just like Colditz. It was an awful building."

His probationary period was spent in Basingstoke and his first regular posting was Eastleigh.

In 1975 he became rural beat officer based at Shipton Bellinger incorporating Grateley, Quarley and the Andover side of Cholderton.

"Coming from the Isle of Wight, Basingstoke was quite a culture shock," he said.

"I liked the community spirit of the rural beat. You had to think on your feet and make your own decisions."

The incident that sticks in his mind is the amazing case of the couple who hijacked a taxi in Petersfield, stabbed the driver in Salisbury and then drove up to Shipton Bellinger, where they killed a dog and kidnapped a boy. The couple were eventually arrested in Savernake.

But for about 15 minutes Ted was on their tail in Shipton Bellinger itself - on his own in a police car.

"It was the longest, loneliest 15 minutes I can tell you," he said. "And I can still see that little boy who was kidnapped."

All the police officer involved in that operation, including Ted, were commended for their actions.

He said: "I've enjoyed my time in the police service. "I've met some wonderful people both inside and outside the job."

He added that he has been lucky enough to work with some wonderful senior officers.

There have been many changes in the force during the career, not all of them for the better in his view.

"I think we are too focused on major crime at the expense of other issues that also matter to people, like parking on pavements, vehicles with no lights, and nuisance juveniles," he said.

"Crime is very much part of the job and we should give victims of crime all the support that they deserve, but there's got to be a balance and there doesn't seem to be that balance."

Ted, who lives in the Penton area, is married to Jean and they have three children and three grandchildren. In retirement Ted has no intention of putting his feet up.

He will be taking up his former trade as a builder.

He and Jean also want to do more travelling and in February they will be setting off on an epic train journey across Canada.