Harry Forrest, 82, joined the police in 1948 and spent 30 years in the force, including 21 years on the beat in Leyland. PC Liberty Wadsworth, 25, has just completed a two-year probation at Leyland police station.

Ben (BR): Liberty, was it always a driving passion to become a police officer?

Liberty (LW): "When I was younger my parents were subject to a couple of break-ins, and everybody knows somebody who is a victim of crime.

"I felt like I was powerless – I wanted to do something about it. It is something I wanted to do from the age of 12 or 13."

Harry (HF): "I came out of the Navy in 1946 and my brother was a police cadet in Blackburn, but I went back to my job as a baker. They were all ex-servicemen there and after 12 months they started making people redundant so I joined the police force."

BR: As a new police officer Liberty must face different challenges from when you started Harry. How does your training and preparation for the job compare?

HF: "For the first six weeks I was at Stanley Grange living in a wood cabin finding out about things like law. Our main learning course was in Bruche, near Warrington.

"It was 19 weeks training and then I was fully qualified. My first post was Ashton-under-Lyne."

LW: "I did 26 weeks training at Hutton including role plays in the community. We learned about different cultures and sexes and the law.

"The training is ongoing and changes depending on what the area requires such as race, diversity and cultures in Lancashire."

To read the rest of this article see Thursday's LEP.