South Yorkshire Times, Saturday, July 4th, 1970

Present Day Bow Street Runner

Don’t be fooled into thinking that because the police force are using panda cars today’s policemen don’t measure up to their early relatives — the Bow Street Runners.

One Goldthorpe bobby who doesn’t remember what it is to see a clean pair of heels is Goldthorpe Detective Officer Alan Flynn.

Alan (27) became North East Region Police Sprint Champion at North Allerton early in June.

He clocked 11.22 secs in the 100 metres, and 22.8 in the 200 metres. Then later in the month he came 3rd and 4th in the 100 and 200 metres respectively at the Yorkshire Championships held at Middlesbrough.

Alan, who was born in Middlestone, near Wakefield, and attended Horbury Secondary School, never made much impression at athletics until he joined the Police Force when he was 19.

It was at a police training centre that he found his form, and soon began to make a name for himself in athletics.

“I had been interested in athletics, but had not made much progress until I joined the police. But it is in the last six years that I have started winning,” he said.

At the moment Alan is trying to help his club–Airedale and Spen Valley — win the Trans-Pennine League and earn a place against the South and Midlands in a national competition at Crystal Palace in September.

But an earlier date is July 11th at Preston when Alan will be competing in the National Police Championships.