A VILLAGE policeman's dream will be realised after his death after his friends decided to publish his memoirs.

Norman Leslie Barningham served on the beat in Northallerton and Osmotherley, North Yorkshire, for 26 years, during which time he made lengthy notes about his experiences.

When he retired he began to type up his notes with a view to creating a book. But before he could complete his goal he died of cancer.

Now, 14 months after his death, former police sergeant and friend, Dennis Hawthornethwaite, is about to publish Mr Barningham's book with proceeds from its sale going to Cancer Research.

Barny's Beat, The Chief Constable of Osmotherley, contains about 50 stories taken from Mr Barningham's manuscripts.

Tales include the time he caught out a bigamist, coming across a ghost near Northallerton cemetery, dealing with poachers, having to act as a witness to a marriage at short notice and looking after the Queen in York in 1988.

The title is a reference to one of Mr Barningham's sayings - he often referred to himself as the chief constable of Osmotherley as he had served the village for so long.

Mr Hawthornethwaite said: "Norman was a great character and a community policeman. He was a country man at heart and stood no nonsense.

"He was a great friend who had some great wit and was very humorous and that shows in the book."

The book, which costs £6, will be officially launched at the North Yorkshire police Open Day at Newby Wiske Hall, near Northallerton, on September 8.

Copies are available from Mitchell's Newsagents, Northallerton, the Village Shop and Post Office, Osmotherley, or from Mrs Barningham by writing to 12 Pennine View, Romanby, Northallerton, DL6 8HP. Postage and packaging costs an extra £1.