EVENING, all. If you hanker for those halcyon days of the bobby on the beat then the latest book from Simon Dell is an arresting read.

Simon, who has enjoyed a colourful and varied career in the police force including that of community officer in Tavistock, is now a patrol officer based in Callington.

And while savouring the joys of the job his interest has developed into a deep desire to record the way things were before the images are lost for ever.

He has already achieved considerable success with his heavily researched 'The Beat on Western Dartmoor' — which celebrated 150 years of policing from Tavistock. With that under his belt he has since devoted his energies to the latest project.

'Policing the Peninsula (1850-2000)' is a photographic celebration of West Country policing over the past century and a half. It took three years to put together and acts as an evocative visual record of the development of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.

It was while researching his first book that he began amassing a collection of priceless sepia scenes from a lost age.

If the pictures supported the words in the first book in this one the pictures are celebrated with extended captions.

'There are 253 pictures published and I collected 720. I have only been able to use one third from the collection,' said Simon.

'It is unique in that there is no other book that photographically catalogues old police forces of the West Country.'

Simon received many pictures of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary from all over the country sent by retired officers and realtives.

The pictures cover the many old city and borough forces ranging from the Isles of Scilly to the edge of Devon.

Of particular interest is the chapter on Tavistock Borough Police (1837-1856) with its print of Tavistock police station circa 1899 and a section of 'borough truncheons' held in the town museum.

The Devon Constabulary (1856-1966) had some notable crimes — such as the Dartmoor Prison Mutiny of 1932. Officers were drafted in to support their local colleagues during this infamous event.

There is a fine photograph of the officers arriving for duty, and another showing officers carrying exhibits to be shown at the temporary Assize Court in the local town hall. One officer is carrying the rope that the riotous prisoners intended using to hang the prison governor.

Simon points out in his caption that such was the violent disposition of the prisoners that armed officers were posted around the building.

'I have lots of pictures without people but the criterion was to have people and interest — and if there was a story with the picture that helped a lot,' says Simon.

'I wanted something that would catch the imagination rather than a dry historical document. I wanted to make it a "people" book.'

So there is a mix of humour, a dash of pathos and some fascinating glimpses of a way of policing largely eclipsed by the modern age.

'I wanted to show the old police force consisted of real people and real policemen. Now in the present day force we are losing a degree of these people. In the old police force there really were some powerful characters,' he says.

Simon acknowledges the virtues of latest policing technology but is anxious some of the old ways are not forgotten in the rush of progress.

'It was to our old constabulary forebears that we owe a debt of gratitude — it is due to their efforts and the foundations that they made that we enjoy the success we do today.

'We are running a very different police service than they were then. The theme of the book is change. We all have to change because the public demand that we do.'

Simon knows that his regard for the style of the old brigade makes him appear something of a 'dinosaur' and 'traditionalist' in certain quarters. It is a charge he accepts with a smile. He believes the endeavours of yesterday's people should not be overlooked by the officers of today.

'This book allows us to look back with a little bit of unashamed sentimentality to the halcyon days of policing.'

Celebrating 23 years in the force himself this year, Simon can reflect on the many changes since he joined the police.

'Things happen so fast that you have to capture history rather than lose it. If this wasn't done all the efforts of these old chaps would have gone unappreciated and unacknowledged.

'I enjoyed talking to all these people because I like history and research and talking to police force pensioners because you can learn so much from them.'

He says their style of policing is still as applicable today as it ever was even though we now have new methods of enquiry.

'If you use their style of community policing along with the technical advances like DNA then police officers would find the job a lot easier.'

He believes the police provide a good service but feels it is still important to be seen pro-active with the public.

'There is room for the traditional stoical image of the policeman — and you have to work hard to maintain that. It would be easy to lose it and very hard to get it back.'

Step inside the pages of his book and you will enter a world populated with policemen and nostalgia.

It will make you long for the lost world of Bobbies on bicycles— and a more innocent era when people could leave their doors open.

l Policing the Peninsula (1850-2000) by Simon Dell will be published towards the end of this month, price £8.99. Available through local bookshops and Bookstop in Tavistock.