ROOKIE police made history last week when they staged the North's last ever passing out parade.

The military-style parade is being scrapped in favour of a degree-style graduation ceremony, which chief constables in the north believe is more in keeping with modern-day policing.

Last Thursday police recruits from seven forces from across Northern England, from Nottinghamshire to Greater Manchester staged the last uniformed parade of the era at the regional police training centre at Aykley Heads, Durham.

The recruits all attend the regional training centre which is run by Centrex, formerly known as National Police Training.

The event was to mark the completion of the first 15 weeks of the two year probationer period.

Head of the centre, Chief Supt Paul Taylor said the new ceremony will be more academic, to mark all aspects of the knowledge they have learned.

He said: "The parade today goes back many, many years where they have a military-style parade and march past. It doesn't reflect all the other aspects of the training that goes on, that show the students have policing skills."