Honouring wartime Special Constables

Special Police Constables played a vital role in our region during World War Two.

Many were veterans of the First World War just twenty years earlier.

They served their country in its hour of need and their good work was recognised with the Long Service Medal.

The only problem was that not all of the volunteers got their medals, until now.

A forgotten batch were recently discovered in a store room at Northumbria Police Headquarters in Ponteland.

Now the North East Police History Society want them see them go to the families of the heroes.

Mick Stothard helps run the history society. He has already found homes for two of the medals, reuniting them with two daughters of the WWII Special Constables, aged 91 and 82.

"Many of these men, if not all of them probably served with the North East and Border regiments in the First World War and were Special Constables in the Second World War," said Mick. "My grandfather had seven medals on his group, the last being the Special Constable long service medal.

"There will be a lot of medal groups out there on display in regimental museums and in homes that are missing this medal. We'd love to return them to the proud families."

91-year-old Joyce Astley was reunited with her father's medal after reading about Mick's campaign in a local paper.

John Boyd Elliott was a First World War veteran before becoming a special constable in the World War Two.

Joyce and her sister Dorothy also served in the war. They were both called up to work in the ATS.

Joyce was stationed at Catterick Garrison where she worked as a clerk but managed to get home to see her family on weekends.

The history society have polished up the medals and attached them to a ribbon and pin.

They are all engraved and in their original boxes.