7:34am Monday 8th March 2010
HE was so popular that the people he served started an online campaign to keep him policing their streets.
Residents in Hythe set up a group on the social networking website Facebook calling for Inspector Kevin Leckey to stay in charge of policing matters in the village.
Around 50 people joined the petition as it became clear that the popular inspector was to move from the New Forest east sector to a new role at Lyndhurst.
One of the messages left on the site said Insp Leckey had made “loads of improvements” to the Hythe area and was respected by both young and old.
And it went on: “Please join this group to show that for once people of all ages have found a police officer that we do not want to leave.”
Hythe and Dibden Parish Council chairman David Smith told the Daily Echo the inspector would be sorely missed – even though he had only been overseeing policing in the town for two years.
He said: “It will be a tremendous loss to Hythe. He has done an awful lot and has really got everybody working together.”
Insp Leckey took up his new post last week.
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