MARLBOROUGH’S oldest special constable Mike ‘Tuppers’ Tupman is hanging his hat up and bidding farewell to the police force which has brought him 31 years of joy.

The 73-year-old grandfather, who lives with his dog Bob in High Street, Burbage, has notched up various awards during his career, including an MBE for his services to the community in Wiltshire. But after failing a fitness test he has decided not to retake it and now is the right time to bow out.

“It has been the best 31 years of my life,” said Mr Tupman, who moved to Burbage more than 40 years ago with his wife Marelene, who died in 2009.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I have had such as splendid time.

“I have seen sad things, really upsetting things and I have seen so many great things as well as really wondrous things. I feel I have been of use and helped the community and that is the main thing.”

From breaking his collarbone trying to bash down a door to free an elderly man stuck in a toilet, to searching for the Hungerford Massacre killer in Savernake Forest, it is a far cry from Mr Tupman’s previous job working at Cadbury’s factory.

He joined the force when he was 43 around the time of the miner’s strike, but when he was younger had hopes of becoming a reporter.

The father-of-two and grandfather-of-four also wrote to the Metropolitan Police when he was in his 20s, asking if he could join but never got a reply, however it did not put him off trying again to be part of a police force.

He is now going to be practising his golf with his friends but it is the camaraderie Mr Tupman will miss the most about being part of the Marlborough team and is urging people to look into joining if they are interested.

He added: “What I really loved was going out on my own and wandering up and down the High Street.

“I just think the people in Marlborough are fantastic. I have had many scraps in Marlborough over the years, but I have had several where members of the public have come in to help me and I do not know if that would happen in a bigger town.

“I just love Marlborough, I love the tourists, the atmosphere – everything.

“I remember having a fight once and I was wearing my specs and they off to the floor, so I shouted in the loudest voice ‘stoooop my specs are on the floor’ and everybody stopped and one of the bad guys said ‘here they are guv’nor’, picked them up and gave them to me and I said ‘ok carry on,’ it was absolutely unbelievable.”