A RETIRING policeman is switching careers from arresting people to offering them legal advice.

While most detectives want to get as far away as possible from suspects when they hand in their badges, Det Con Ian Snowdon is planning on representing them.

The 56-year-old leaves Derwentside CID at the end of this week, to pursue a career as a legal representative. He will be returning to some of his old police station haunts across the North-East, offering legal advice to people arrested by his former colleagues.

"There is a good chance that I could be representing people that I have locked up in the past," he said.

"I have mixed feelings about it at the moment. If it happens, I am hoping I can be professional and just get on with the job.

"I decided to go into something that fitted my skills. It is one way of getting back into a system that I am already trained in."

Det Con Snowdon, who is married to wife Brenda, 53, joined Durham Police in May 1974.

He worked as a uniformed officer in Chester-le-Street, Pelton, Newton Aycliffe, Ferryhill and Spennymoor, before joining the CID in 1979.

During his career, he received commendations from judges, magistrates and the force chief constable.

"I am gutted to be leaving," he said. "The force has been very good to me and I have made a lot of friends."