[Arthurgray50@blu]

Siruis, the procedure is that 'trainee police officers, have to pay for a course which takes ten weeks, this is paid out of the own pocket.

You then sit an exam, if you pass the exam, which is strict, you then have to pass a medical, and then you go to Hendon Police College.

Before, l hate to say this, the government place strict guidelines on the Police Service, years ago you applied and went straight to Hendon where you past exams, that has now all changed.

My son has been through the course once before and failed. He is going through it again and the whole recruiting has changed again.

To do the training is very hard work and its course work, course work all the time, Even though he pays for the training, which saves time at Hendon, he still has to pass the exam to get to Hendon.

I have been told that out of 600 applicants in the last entrance to Hendon College, only 200 got through to the college, As l have said some of my mates have tried and failed to get there and list all that money, only ONE has succeeded, and even he is now struggling, And in the first 18 months its a struggle and there is no guarantee that you will finally get though to become a police officer.

There is quite a lot of people who think that becoming a police officer is a peace of cake - well it isn't. I was proud to wear the uniform of a MSC officer (specials), l saw things that the public don't see - the paperwork, the stress. I did 16 years of it and enjoyed every minute, but what annoys me is when you get people who run the police service down - they don't see half of what goes on.