Meet the bedtime beat bobby: The village PC who marches children home if they break their parents' curfew

Shortly after becoming a village bobby Andy Watkins found a 12-year-old boy wandering the streets around midnight.

He phoned the youngster's parents and it turned out that they thought their son was at a friend's house for a sleepover, so the PC escorted him home to face their wrath.

And that was how he became the bedtime beat bobby of Sturminster Marshall.

PC Watkins has launched a curfew scheme with parents in the Dorset village to make sure children aren't out when they should be tucked up at home.

The 45-year-old beat officer has collected a list of names and addresses of local youths aged between 11 and 17 and found out from their parents what time they are due home at night.

When he encounters a youth staying out late, PC Watkins marches them home.

The curfew scheme is part of an anti-social behaviour drive to combat binge drinking and stop yobs intimidating older residents.

PC Watkins, who was also inspired by his father, Graham a beat bobby in the 1960s in the Cotswolds, now hopes to expand his scheme into neighbouring villages.

"When I moved here last November I stopped a 12-year-old lad at 11.50pm," he said.

"His parents thought he was on a sleepover at a mate's house. I took him home to his mum to face the music.

"Since then I've come across quite a few. It's predominantly lads with alcohol. There had been complaints about youths hanging around at night and I wanted to do something about it.

"When I was growing up my father was a policeman and he would know all the names of the youths where we lived.

"He knew what time they should be in and what their parents would say if they stayed out. I've just formalised the process."

PC Watkins, who has been a policeman for 26 years and has an 11-year- old daughter, launched his Parent Support Pledge last month.

So far, 12 sets of parents have signed up to the voluntary project. He has been inundated with requests from families to register their teenagers but wants more parents in the three villages he patrols - Sturminster Marshall, Shapwick and Pamphill - to sign up.

PC Watkins, who also runs a youth club in the village, has only had to escort three youngsters home so far, but he claims to have met no resistance from teenagers.

He added: "By registering with me parents are not saying their son or daughter is a yob or a problem child. It is purely a safeguard.

"The parents fill out a form which names the child and gives their date of birth, address and their curfew time for a week night and a weekend.

"When I am out on patrol at night and see a lad out after their curfew I ring their parents to inform them and then escort them back home if that is what the family wish.

"I leave the telling off to the parents but if they are doing something that they shouldn't, like drinking alcohol, then I will have a word with them. It isn't a free taxi service. If I call the parents and they can come and pick them up, they will."

PC Watkins, who moved to Sturminster Marshall from Boscombe in November, works late-shifts every third week but is changing his shifts frequently to keep youngsters on their toes.

The curfew patrol has been welcomed by villagers. Local councillor Sonia Cade said: "Anti-social behaviour was quite a serious problem in Sturminster Marshall.

"There was a lot of intimidation of older people by youngsters. This has acted as a powerful deterrent. People feel a lot safer and easier at night now."