The last of a kind

from I'd Rather Be In Deeping June 2023

Stapletons - Brewers of Market Deeping

PC Puttterill was one of the last beat policeman in the Deepings and his time in the Force here straddled the period from what was a rural community to one that is more suburban today. At the same time there has been a change in policing and the Police Station, which moved from a prime position at the corner of the Market Place in the late 60s to the more recent one at the corner of Godsey Lane, is no longer the operational Station it once was.

PC Putterill (Dave) was the beat bobby in Deeping St James from 1980 until 1999 with a brief spell in CID in Stamford in 1985. At the same time PC Postance would pound the beat in Market Deeping.

Born in Spalding and educated in Holbeach, Dave Putterill followed his ambition to join the Force and entered into a Cadetship in Stamford from 1967-9. He then had an initial training course in Harrogate in 1969. Dave went on to work in Skegness, Sleaford, Mablethorpe and Boston before coming to Deeping. He had moved to Deeping in 1976 but was initially in Baston before moving to the Police House in Millfield Road, DSJ in 1979. At that time there were 5 PC’s, a Sergeant (shared with Bourne) and a Detective Constable stationed at the Deeping Station. The area covered by the Station extended to Tallington, Greatford, West Deeping, Barholm, Braceborough, Baston and Langtoft and up to the boundary with South Holland at Randall’s Garage, now Deeping Car & Van Hire.

Dave Putterill married Laurie and bought up three children in the village: Craig, Lindsey and Louise, all of whom attended the local schools.

At this time, Deeping was still very much a rural community; Thackers Way and Black Prince Avenue were yet to be built and what was then known as the Heron Lea Estate off Linchfield Road was just being started. So pounding the beat every day meant that Dave Putterill built up a rapport with the locals, most of whom he knew well. Crime was much as it had been through the centuries; largely petty crime, criminal damage, theft, burglary, alcohol-related public order offences and domestic abuse. As today there were poachers and hare coursing took place but often when apprehended the coursers would claim ‘just to be walking the dog’. Now legislation has caught up with the dangerous ‘sport’ that it is making the enforcers’ job easier than it was when Dave confronted the perpetrators.

Street DSJ, and Christopher Eve who had a cheery smile for everyone and whose regular greeting ‘It’ll soon be snowing’ would ring out on even the sunniest days. There was Mrs Munzer from the fish and chip shop in Church St DSJ and in Market Deeping a lady who would regularly fall down in front of the traffic in the Stamford Road.

The most tragic event that occurred during this policeman’s’ time in Deeping St James was the murder of Gillian Atkinson in Church Walk in the spring of 1983. Dave Putterill remembers that a lot of officers were moved into the village from elsewhere and an incident room was set up at the Cross School. After a morning briefing, officers would undertake houseto-house enquiries and interview those who had reported sightings. PC Putterill was crewed up with the Detective Sergeant from Stamford and when a distinctive green-and white-hat was reported, the Sergeant, Neil Jones, was able to put two and two together and the perpetrator was arrested, charged at Bourne Magistrates Court, remanded in custody and sentenced at Crown Court.

Going into schools to give presentations to the pupils was part of the role. At Linchfield School PC Putterill was immortalised with a life-size poster. Believing that young people needed something to do to keep them out of harm’s way he joined the Youth Club Committee which met at the Cross School, as it does today. He would attend monthly meetings of Deeping St James Parish Council which met at the Institute, with Lewis Jones the Clerk, Gordon Charity, Horace and Ann Thompson, Gordon Crowson, Derek Abel, Steve Fisk, Doreen Monk, Elaine Gregson, Harry Goodyear, Ray Auger, John Anderson and after 1988, Judy Stevens.

There were characters such as Mrs Prentice who lived in one of the cottages backing onto Hives Bank in Church

PC Putterill regrets the demise of the Bobby on the Beat that served communities such as ours so well: ‘We knew people and they knew us and there was a respect for the law which has diminished today.’ He recalls an event when an aggrieved husband had gone into a local pub and poured a pint of beer over the man having an affair with his wife. When PC Putterill went to arrest the husband he was greeted with a shrug and a wry smile. ‘What took you so long?’ he said.

In many ways the career of PC Dave Putterill replicated that of TV’s ‘Dixon of Dock Green’, a typical bobby who was familiar with an area and its residents and lived there himself. It is an era that many of us hanker after but sadly seems to have gone for good. In the immortal words of Dixon himself, ‘Evening all.’

• Plants

• Compost

• Lawn care

• WeedKillers

• Decking

• Garden Timber/ Sleepers

• Stone/ Aggregates

• Solar lighting

• Gazebos

• Garden furniture

And much more...

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