Final day for a Harrogate police force legend who believes the human touch is the most important thing of all

“As a policeman, if you treat the people you come across through work the same way you would if they were a member of the family, you won’t go far wrong,” said Sgt Paul Cording, a long-standing member of North Yorkshire’s traffic police.

"No one gets in a car to cause a crash but, when you’re dealing with a burglar you know that person has set out to do wrong.

"Even if someone has done something truly terrible, there’s no point in going in straight away at level nine.

"You will just antagonise them and make it harder to do your job well.

"It’s all about building relationships.”

Thanks to his personable nature, years of charity fundraising and popularity on Twitter/X, the charismatic Paul has become almost the public face of the police in the Harrogate district.

Talking to the Harrogate Advertiser inside Harrogate Police Station, the now former Sgt Cording says he has seen many changes over the years, including an ever-growing workload caused partly by the rise of the digital world and the explosion of internet-related crime.

"Technology has created a whole new set of ways that criminals can prey on the elderly and exploit the vulnerable,” said Paul in full dress uniform, a row of medals glinting on his chest.

"Everyone in the police force joins to make a difference but that alone has led to a lot more man hours.

"Speaking personally, I get more fulfilment from spending time helping a family at their lowest ebb than I ever get sitting at a computer.”

Despite the challenges faced by the police in recent years, Paul Cording remains committed to the ethos of public service and a passionate believer in the men and women serving in the force.

“I’ve had the privilege to work with some amazing individuals who make a difference every day,” he said.

"Everyone knows about the awful crimes of Metropolitan Police Officer Wayne Couzens.

"Those sort of people need to be weeded out.

"But 99% of the police force are good people trying their best to make the country safer for everyone.

"At the end of the day we are just human beings who wear a uniform.

"There’s a lot more young police officers these days; we’ve lost a lot of experienced people in the last decade

"It’s also got tougher for officers to deal with the impact of the job on their own lives.

"It’s still a great career which I would recommend to anyone but, when I first started, if you had seen some trauma that the average person doesn’t ever have to face the sergeant would take you for a drink at the police bar so you could decompress.

"Those days have gone and, often, officers live an hour away from work and, at the end of the day go home to an empty house.”

A small hint of the respect Paul is held in by his colleagues comes when there is a knock on the door and someone lets him know his last-ever police station breakfast is ready.

If anyone needs a good breakfast, it’s the popular former Sgt Cording.

Over the decades he has run thousands of miles for local charities, tackling the most difficult physical tests, including completing the world’s toughest footrace, the 243km Marathon des Sables.

Even in his last week he couldn’t resist one more challenge - running 126.8km in 24 hours – and raising more than £6,000 for the Police Treatment Centres.

His commitment to supporting road safety for children throughout North Yorkshire has been notable, often joining forces with Knaresborough’s Lauren Doherty who launched Road Safety Talks after her own life-changing accident.

Last year saw Paul receive the British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours for his services to policing and charity.

But none of his achievements would have been possible without the support of colleagues and, in particular, his family.

“I was humbled to receive a royal honour but it’s all about the people around you,” said Paul.

"The medal has my name on it but it would never have happened without the hard work of my colleagues.

"The biggest credit goes to my brilliant wife Michelle.

"She is the one that holds the fort when I am late home, the one who supports me when I have had “one of those shifts”.

"Without her...”

It’s been a while since Paul took his inspectors exams before realising that a management role wasn’t really his ideal vision of career progression.

Now that his days in the police are about to become a thing of the past, Paul says, for the first time in a long time, his future is wide open.

He may have served a long and fulfilling 30-year career but, at the age of 52, this Harrogate police force legend is not about to rest on his laurels, though he isn’t entirely sure what comes next.

"I will miss my colleagues but I’m going to take summer off to spend time with my family and go on holiday,” said Paul.

"After that, it’s a completely blank page.

"Come September I will see what’s out there and try to choose my next career path.

"Whatever that is, ideally, it has to be something which stimulates me.

"It has to be something I want to do for the right reasons.”