Police husband and wife Ian and Maria Miller, who have served 30 years in the Wiltshire Constabulary 28 of them as man and wifeLOVE blossomed between police rookies Ian and Maria Miller and now the couple, who have been married 28 years, are retiring from Wiltshire Constabulary after 30 years service.

The couple, who are both 48 and live in the Devizes area, are the longest serving married police couple to serve in Wiltshire police and possibly in the UK.

The pair met when they started as probationers with Wiltshire police on July 28, 1975 although it wasn't love at first sight.

Mrs Miller, a constable, recalled: "Ian thought I was very stuck up when we met on our induction course at police headquarters in Devizes."

But their feelings for each other grew when they attended a two week cadet camp at Lyburn on the edge of the New Forest.

Mr Miller joined the force as a cadet but Mrs Miller, who joined from an accountancy firm, had no experience of cadet camps and felt out of her depth. She said: "I was struggling a little bit with what we had to do on the camp. Ian was very kind to me and helped me. It was then I thought he was a very nice man."

In those days the etiquette of courtship was somewhat draconian compared to today. After the camp the recruits had a week's leave and Mr Miller wrote to Maria at her home in Bournemouth.

Her parents insisted on meeting him to make sure he was suitable.

He met with their approval and the couple started dating. They got engaged two months later but agreed to go along with Mrs Miller's father's wishes to get married after they had finished their two year probation.

The first weekend after they passed they got married in Bournemouth, on August 6, 1977.

The only time they have worked together as beat bobbies was in Devizes, shortly after they married but the force rules prohibited them from meeting up at lunchtime.

The only time they were paired together on the beat was on a Sunday night and both concluded that it was best they didn't work together.

Mrs Miller said: "We were out on patrol, it was about 10pm, and a man stopped us and asked us for directions. Ian gave him directions but I told him of a much shorter route he could take and the poor man was confused as to whose directions to take. Ian and I both agreed we couldn't go out on the beat with other after that."

But she said working in the same organisation has had its benefits.

"We both understand what the job is about and the pressures involved. There are highs and lows to the job and we were able to give the other support when needed," she said.

At the start of her career Mrs Miller worked in the policewoman's department in Chippenham which dealt solely with incidents involving women and children such as rapes and domestic matters. She was the first female to work in Chippenham's traffic unit and latterly has been the family liaison officer for the family of Ronald Maddison who died at Porton Down, the Ministry of Defence's research base on Salisbury Plain.

Mr Miller, an inspector, has also worked in Swindon, Melksham, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Marlborough. He was latterly based at the criminal justice unit at police headquarters in Devizes.

To mark their retirement after 30 years they were both presented with a certificate for exemplary service by Chief Constable Martin Richards. The couple, who have no children, are looking forward to a rest before looking around for part-time jobs.

They are looking forward to having more time to walk their two Yorkshire terriers.

Mrs Miller added: "We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in the force and would like to thank the people of Devizes, in particular, for their support throughout our service."