PC Norman Hibberd who is retiring after 35 years.A LONG era of police service came to an end last week, when Salisbury's 'Mr Traffic' - PC Norman Hibberd - bowed out, after more than 35 years as a member of the Wiltshire Constabulary.

Mr Hibberd (51), who has been traffic management officer at Salisbury divisional police headquarters since 1997, officially retires from the force on September 19 but actually finished duty last Thursday.

Brought up in the village of Berwick St James, he was educated at Wilton Secondary School and, after a spell working on a farm, joined the police as a cadet in 1969.

During his three years as a cadet, he served in various parts of Wiltshire, before becoming a fully-fledged police constable and being posted to Swindon, where he spent three years as a panda car driver before becoming a motorway patrol car driver on the M4.

After seven years in that job, he returned to Salisbury as a traffic officer and later had a spell as a dog-handler and a member of a special support group, providing protection to former prime minister Sir Edward Heath and a number of high-profile military officers living

locally.

Mr Hibberd returned to cars in 1993 and four years later joined the traffic management unit, where he has been involved in a wide range of traffic issues, from organising diversions to consulting with local authorities and the government's highways agency over road works and new road projects.

He has had a police input in such high-profile road schemes as the proposed Stonehenge tunnel, the Skew Bridge project and the new bridge and road junction at Folly Bottom, Amesbury.

He has also been a senior investigation officer for road deaths.

Mr Hibberd holds the police long service and good conduct medals and the Queen's Jubilee Medal.

Looking back on his long career last week, Mr Hibberd said he had enjoyed his time with Wiltshire police, particularly his service in the traffic unit, where "every day was different".

He was saddened by the increase so far this year in the number of deaths and serious injuries on local roads.

"We seem to be losing the battle this year," he said.

"Too many people are losing their lives."

But he emphasised: "It is not roads that are dangerous - it is the people that drive on them."

Mr Hibberd, who lives with wife, Gerry, and teenage son, Simon, now plans to use his expertise in a new job.

On September 20, he will begin work with Wiltshire county council's highways department, at Wilton.