A FORMER police officer has joined a national network of ex-bobbies offering handyman services.

Dave Hogg, who was in the police for 32 years and served in Darlington, Durham, Peterlee, Consett and Chester-le-Street, on traffic patrols and with the North-East Alcohol Office, has signed up with Trust in Blue, offering handyman services around Durham City.

The 54-year-old, who retired from Durham Police as a Temporary Superintendent in 2010, said: “I was a police officer in Durham Constabulary for 32 years and there was rarely a day when I didn’t either deal with or hear about members of the local community being ripped off by rogue tradesmen.

“Working with Blue gives me the opportunity to redress the balance and provide local people with a service they know they can trust.”

As a police officer, Mr Hogg, who lives in Newton Hall, was involved in controversial schemes to ban under-16s from the streets of Seaham after 9pm and ban under-21s from buying drinks at off-licences.