A FAMILIAR face 'on the police beat' of Yelverton, Horrabridge and Princetown has received a long service and good conduct medal from the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.

PC Dave Pickles, beat manager for Tavistock Rural East, was presented with his award by the Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer and the High Sheriff of Cornwall Catherine Mead at a ceremony held at the China Fleet Club, Saltash.

Dave Pickles joined Essex Police in 1990 at Grays Police Station, coming to Tavistock in 1996.

Dave, 48, told the Times: 'When I joined the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary I was asked where I would like to be stationed. 'I remembered being in Tavistock on my bike when I was 14 and I had no doubts where I wanted to be.'

A lover of the great outdoors and enjoying pastimes of walking, cycling and sailing, Dave considered moving to New Zealand before being drawn to the West Country.

'I have no regrets about not emigrating. When I came here to Devon, with its great wilderness on the moors, beaches and people, where else would I want to be?'

After working nine years in Plymouth PC Pickles returning to Tavistock almost six years ago and he is now the beat manager for the Tavistock Rural East, working with the team of Police Community Support Officers, Mark Canvin and Rob Walsh, along with PC John Nowland.

As a unit they have successfully tackled many challenging tasks and in 2009 received the Local Police Area Neighbourhood Policing Team of the Year award.

Among their initiatives were the Moorland Challenge, an event applauded by the Chief Constable, the High Sheriff of Devon and the chairman of the National Crimebeat charity.

It involved getting the young people of Horrabridge and Princetown Youth Clubs — many of whom had never walked on Dartmoor and had no equipment — to walk across the moor from one village to another and then back the next day, completing a number of challenges set by different organisations on the way.

Dave, paid tribute to his colleagues, for their part and sees himself very much as part of the community.

'I'm with a really great team. Trust has been built up between the police and local people over the years.

'It's the small things that count. I think people are reassured to see the familiar sight of our LandRover Defender about. It's great they come up and talk to us, leave notes on our windscreen and use it like a post-box.

'People of all age groups ask us for advice. One of the rewarding things as a policeman is to see youngsters you deal with who might have got into trouble a few years earlier, begin to change, come over and talk to you as an adult.'

Of his award he said: 'I'm very honoured to receive it and glad they continue to have such awards where people are recognised for their work in the community.'