DAVID Youd, who has died aged 83, spent a lifetime protecting the public, serving in the army, police force and royal parks.

For much of his police career, he was based in Thames Valley, in Oxford, Aylesbury and at headquarters at Kidlington.

David Mark Youd was born to Marjorie and Bill Youd at Stratford-on-Avon in 1936 and later moved with his family to South-East London and then Cheltenham.

After leaving Cheltenham Grammar School, he joined the Gloucestershire Regiment.

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In 1955, he was commissioned into the Royal Ulster Rifles and served with them in Cyprus during the EOKA campaign.

While he was serving in Cyprus, two policemen he met there encouraged him to join the force and when he left the army.

In 1958, after leaving the army, he became a member of the Gloucestershire Constabulary.

In the course of his employment with the Gloucestershire Constabulary, he based in turn at Dursley, Bristol, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.

While working and living in Bristol, he met his future wife, a Welsh schoolteacher called Gwyneth Jones.

Mr and Mrs Youd were married in 1960.

Mr Youd transferred to Oxford City Police in 1964 before the days of the Thames Valley force.

While working for the city police force, he became known to his colleagues at St Aldate’s police station as the ‘Beggar King’.

His daughter, Zoe La Roche, said: “He would constantly bring back beggars to the station, much to the disdain of his boss, Joe Coffey, as they didn’t help the crime figures!”

He was later promoted to sergeant and detective sergeant.

He spent the last 10 years of his career in Thames Valley Police working for the Special Branch.

Mr Youd retiring from the police force in 1986.

After retiring he spent a year in the Oxford registrar’s office, but missed the ‘buzz’ of working for the police and joined the Royal Parks Constabulary based in London.

There he served in St James’ Park, Kensington Gardens and Hampton Court for seven years.

Another year of work followed when a former police colleague offered him a job as a custodian at Christ Church in Oxford.

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In retirement, he maintained his lifelong interest in the Royal British Legion and was a regular collector for the Legion’s annual poppy appeal.

Mrs Youd died in 2008.

In her career as a teacher, she taught at Bernwood First School at Barton, Oxford, and was head at Carswell Infants’ School at Abingdon.

She continued working as a supply teacher until she was 70 years old.

Daughter Zoe said: “They were very happily married and both felt very lucky to have loved their jobs as well as their home life.”

Mr Youd, who lived at Wheatley, leaves son Huw, daughter Zoe and son-in-law Phillip.

His funeral will be held at St Mary the Virgin Church, Church Lane, Wheatley, on Monday, October 28 at 11am.

Donations are welcome from mourners and will go to Help the Heroes or the Royal British Legion.