The old fashioned bobby who always added caring to community policing is set to hang up his helmet, hand over his truncheon and give in his warrant card.

Ongar Crime Prevention Officer PC Bob Higgs, who officially bows out of Essex Police at the end of the month, is part of a vanishing breed.

The popular father of two, the longest serving officer in the Harlow Division, has always had a soft spot for the "customers" he served in the past 30 years 114 days.

He is best known as the beat bobby in the village of Fyfield for nine years and says: "That was the most memorable time in all my police service.

"My whole family was involved in serving the community there. Apart from me, my daughter was answering the phone and my wife was dispensing social work advice."

Bob, still only 49, continues to live in Fyfield with wife Lyn, a service manager for the elderly working for the social services in Chelmsford.

He said: "We love the village and the people and we've no intention of moving. I remember that when we first came here we had trouble sleeping because it was so quiet."

A good deed led Bob, originally from Hornchurch, to join the police as a cadet in the 60s. His father found a gold watch in the road and sent him and sister Barbara to the police station to hand it in.

While there, Bob picked up some recruitment literature and quickly signed on.

He had a lucky break when he was posted to Basildon and met Lyn who was also a constable. They have been married for 29 years.

After his spell patrolling the lanes and tracks around rural Fyfield he became involved in liaison with schools in the Ongar and North Weald district for six years before moving on to crime prevention in 1995.

Bob said: "When I worked in the schools I quickly became a well-known face to the children, many of whom I see today as parents themselves.

''There are a lot of dangers out there and, although people can't keep their kids wrapped in cotton wool, they should take more interest in them.

"In my experience it's the minority of youngsters who give the majority a bad name."

He was also responsible for launching the Crucial Crew Safety Project in Essex which gives young people a hands-on learning experience of crime prevention and how to deal with life's problems.

Bob, who has also advised other forces on similar initiatives, said: "It has been a very rewarding part of my career."

His crime prevention role has led him to work closely with families and old folk.

Bob and Lyn have two daughters, Karen, nearly 28, and Catherine, 26, who works at Rhone-Poulenc in Fyfield.

Karen, who has Down's Syndrome, has fought hard to overcome her disability. She now works in Ongar's new Sainsbury's store and is active in the North London theatre group, Chicken Shed, which has appeared on TV.

Her proud father says: "We're very proud over what she's achieved and like to think that she's a credit to us."

Now Bob, who was speaking on his last day as a policeman, looks forward to taking a breather, spending some time at his holiday caravan in Suffolk and then, perhaps, starting a new career using his experience to continue helping the community.

He said: "I don't feel sad at the moment but when I hand in my warrant card and finally pack up I know it will hit me. My reward has been serving the people and being appreciated. I hope I might be missed."

Signing off: PC Bob Higgs flanked by colleagues Jacky Brown and Dave Sims in his last days at Ongar Police Station

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