Placed under a rest!

SADDLEWORTH’S longest serving bobby bows out after 20 years today.

Sergeant Craig Johnson has been stationed with the Saddleworth and Lees neighbourhood policing team for over 20 years.

He joined the force in 1976, working as police constable in Manchester and was promoted to sergeant in Altrincham in 1985.

He said: “I called it Life on Mars because it has completely changed since when I first started.

“It was a different world back then.”

But it is his time with the Saddleworth and Lees neighbourhood policing team, since 1990, that has meant the most to him.

Sgt Johnson has been instrumental in the organisation of the Whit Friday band contests, Rushcart and beer walks.

He said: “When I first moved, rural policing was a shock and it took a while to get used to it.

“I grew to love it and realised this was where I wanted to be.

“Nowadays, 20 years in one post I imagine is pretty unique. I’m proud of that.

“To be able to be involved in maintaining traditions such as the rushcart has mattered a lot. That has been a highlight.”

Sgt Johnson (53) went on to win the Greater Manchester Police Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and came third in the national Jane’s lifetime achievement awards for police in the same year.

He also organises an annual fund-raising walk for former colleague Emma Herman, who died of cancer, and has raked in over £10,000 for Christies in the past five years.

After 34 years’ service he is now ready to bow out, but as he explains, on his terms.

He suffered his own personal battle in 2009, after finding a lump and being treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for throat cancer.

He was forced to take seven months off work: “It was a total emotional rollercoaster.

“The staff here and the local people were so supportive.

“I had already done 30 years’ service at that point so I could have stepped down. But it was important to me that the decision was made by me, not by the disease. I’ve been back for over a year, I’ve proved to myself I can do it and it was the right decision.”

A raft of good will has been shown locally as Saddleworth’s Homewatch group presented him with a framed picture of Diggle and he will be the guest of honour at this year’s May ball.

He said: “Being part of that community is something I will miss. Not many people can say they’ve enjoyed it throughout but I can. If I’ve made a difference to one person then it has been worthwhile.”