A SPECIAL constable who spends up to 35 hours a week on the beat has used his rare moments of spare time to become a black belt in judo.

Raffi Aghanian, 49, is part of the neighbourhood policing team in Scarborough and is a common sight on patrol in the town.

Being a special constable takes up most of his spare time, but he manages to find a few free hours twice a week to practise his judo skills.

After only five years in the sport, he has progressed to black belt level.

He said: "The best part of the job is meeting the public. I've never had any problems or negative feelings towards me, so it's an enjoyable experience.

"It's also good to know that my powers as a special constable can help the public."

North Yorkshire Police is running a recruitment campaign to increase the county's number of specials from 170 to 300 by March next year.

Chief Inspector Glyn Payne, of the force's community safety department, said: "Special constables are a credit to North Yorkshire Police, as they give up their valuable time to help their community.

"Raffi is an excellent example of a special constable who is dedicated to a job that can be very demanding but also very rewarding."