The long arm of the law helped to reel in the catch of the day when the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police joined young anglers in Corsham.

Pat Geenty was on hand to help youngsters experience fishing, as part of a summer project run by the Splash charity and supported by Chippenham Angling Club.

The 17 members of the group spent three-and-a-half hours at the Pockeredge fishing lakes, where they got to grips with different types of angling.
Splash operations coordinator Simone Matthews said: “We had a brilliant day.

Half the group made their own bamboo rods and had to tie hooks on, while the other side were working with professional angling equipment.

“They caught some perch, roach, and there was a really good ten-pound fish.

“For most of them it was something completely new they had the opportunity to try for the first time. They all took the home-made rods back with them, so hopefully they’ll be using them again.”

Mr Geenty is the chair of Splash, which provides activities for young people throughout the summer holidays.

Ms Matthews said: “He wanted to come along to meet the young people, and really got stuck in. He was helping them when they were catching the fish, and with the maggots they used as bait.”