MILLIONS of television viewers shared in the highs and lows of an ex-Leigh schoolboy's retirement celebrations.

Retired police sergeant Dick Base, a former Leigh Grammar School pupil and Tyldesley RUFC forward, was the star of the show in a prime time documentary about policing in the Lake District.

In this week's episode of Law of the Lakes, Dick, who grew-up in Church Lane, Culcheth, reflected on his 32 years on the beat.

Over the past few weeks, Dick, aged 49, has been one of the main characters in Law of the Lakes.

He revealed the pride he felt when first being handed his uniform as a cadet with Lancashire Constabulary at Stanley Grange and his dedication to a job.

Now living in Kendal with his wife, Debbie, a sales administrator, Dick left Leigh Grammar School at 16 and became a police cadet.

He served in Warrington before moving to Cumbria in 1974, where he first pounded the beat at Millom.

After switching to Kendal, there followed a stint as village bobby at Levens, promotion to sergeant and a spell at Workington before he went back to Kendal for the last eight years of his career.

This week viewers of the programme, narrated by Bolton actor Paul Nicholls, were told the last few weeks in the job were the worst of his career.

Game-for-a-laugh Dick and his mates were castigated by top officers for their tongue-in-cheek monthly wooden spoon award for the one who had dropped the biggest clanger.

Their presentation, in the shape of a wooden hand grasping a carved wooden object, was deemed politically incorrect.

Dick said: "It was just a laugh but the bosses didn't think so, it was payback time and I was judged unfit to run a shift."

Dick was taken off the streets he loved to walk and put on inside custody duty which he admits put a "sour taste" to the last couple of months in the job.

The popular copper was seen being toasted by colleagues at his retirement party and millions heard his long-time pal, Lenny Joynes, from Risley, pay tribute to his best mate.

Dick is now dieting after admitting being shocked when he saw his 21 stone frame on the box.

He said: "I've stopped smoking and lost two stone."

Dick is now a civilian detention officer in Kendal.