Ref. 29793-8BREWERY boss James Arkell will now be calling time on lawlessness after being made Wiltshire's new High Sheriff.

The managing director of Arkell's Brewery yesterday donned the traditional black velvet breeches and jacket for his official swearing-in ceremony at Swindon Crown Court.

And father-of-four Mr Arkell, 53, who follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sir Noel Arkell a holder of the post in 1953 can't wait to get cracking

"It's a great honour and I am extremely proud," he said as he walked from court.

Although mainly performing ceremonial duties these days, High Sheriffs are still expected to keep a watchful eye on law and order in their patch.

Mr Arkell's main role will be overseeing the Wiltshire branch of Crime Beat a national charity led by High Sheriffs which seeks to cut crime through various partnerships.

"I will be looking for help from schools and the younger generation shortly to think of ways to cut crime," said Mr Arkell.

"They are our future and they have some marvellous ideas.

"I will carry out my duties to the best of my ability for the benefit of all those living and working in the wonderful county of Wiltshire."

In days of old, High Sheriffs had the authority to raise an army and even order executions of convicts.

But in spite of wearing a sword for the ceremony, he admits that a more passive approach is called for.

"The Robin Hood days have long gone but I've got a horse that I'd be more than happy to ride about town on," he joked.

Chief Constable Dame Elizabeth Neville, who watched the ceremony, said that she was looking forward to developing the new crime-busting team.

"The High Sheriff is just as relevant now as he was 1,000 years ago," she said.

"He is the symbol of a solid community and the drive to keep it safe.

"Mr Arkell is an influential person in Swindon and I am sure people will respect him."

Mr Arkell takes over from out-going High Sheriff David Newbiggin and will stay in the post for 12 months.

Ages old ceremony

The ceremony dates back around 1,000 years to before the days of the Norman Conquest, with judges and officials presiding over the nomination of 51 High Sheriffs from across the country.

At one time, they would go to the king or queen's court, known in Latin as the Curia Regis, to give accounts of the money their county had collected on behalf of the monarch.

They also had the power of arrest as Guy Fawkes and his band of plotters found out in 1605. Sir Richard Walsh, the High Sheriff of Worcestershire, captured many of them.

Kevin Shoesmith