Final shift for Harrogate policeman with high public profile and a big heart who was honoured by King Charles

The final shift for Sergeant Paul Cording, who was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to policing and charity in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours, will be at Harrogate Police Station on Wednesday, June 19.

It's been quite a journey for the popular policeman with a high public profile and a big heart who first joined North Yorkshire Police in 2001 after nearly ten years’ service in the RAF.

His initial posting was to Harrogate where he worked in response and neighbourhood policing.

Paul was promoted to Sergeant in 2005 and a new chapter began in 2010 when he swapped walking the beat for roads policing.

Since then, he has attended more than 100 fatal road traffic collisions.

He has witnessed first-hand the devastation, trauma and wider impact which each tragic incident causes to the families involved.

This emotion ignited his passion for road safety and he became an advocate for safer roads.

Paul has regularly visited schools across North Yorkshire to improve children’s awareness of their surroundings when near roads.

He formed close ties with local charity, Road Safety Talks, led by Knaresborough’s Lauren Doherty BEM who became paralysed following a road traffic collision.

Paul has also become a popular figure on social media over the past decade as he uses Twitter / X to update members of the public with various incidents that he has dealt with at work.

His commitment to road safety has seen him take on regular charity challenges where he has raised thousands of pounds for local and national charities.

With the clock ticking to his retirement, Paul couldn’t resist one final charity challenge before he hangs up his boots for the last time.

He plans to run or walk 126.8KM in 24 hours on Wednesday, June 12 in recognition of his force collar number 1268.

This charity challenge is to raise money for The Police Treatment centre which offers treatment and wellbeing for police officers who are injured through their work.