VIDEO: On the beat with the ‘specials’: have you got what it takes?

Licence checks, speeding motorists and returning a runaway child to emotional parents before they have dialled the third nine.

All this, and more, in just four hours for our unsung heroes of the emergency services – the special constables – who are all volunteers.

Crewed with special constable (SC) Rob Teear, PC Alan Lawrence and Sergeant Jo Webb on Saturday night, I was given a typical insight into life on the beat as an SC.

And what is so impressive is that specials like Rob give up their time as volunteers, putting themselves on the frontline just to help their communities.

“It’s fantastic, I love it,” explained Rob, 20, who juggles policing with working at his dad’s tree nursery in Arundel.

“I always wanted to be a regular officer, and when I was old enough to apply, the police weren’t recruiting, so joining 
as a special was the next best thing.

“It’s everything I expected it to be, and more.”

Have you got what it takes to be a special constable? Visit www.sussexspecials.com