POLICE colleagues who together served a total of 168 years in Oxfordshire helped mark the 40th birthday of Thames Valley Police.

The force celebrated the milestone at a former police training base, at Eynsham Hall, near Witney.

Around 500 dignitaries, including Chief Constable Sara Thornton and former Thames Valley officer and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, were joined by long-serving officers who have been with the force since the day it was created on April 1, 1968.

Certificates were presented to officers who served for 40 years, including former Sgt Roger Ball, who spent 44 years with the force, and ex-Inspector Rodney Greenwood and Elaine James.

Peter Sykes, who now works as a project manager at the criminal justice department, was also commended in his absence for 44 years' service.

All four spent their entire careers in Oxfordshire.

Mr Greenwood now works for the police at the professional standards unit.

He said: "It was a much slower pace when I started and you could walk round the streets and everybody knew who you were.

"There were no radios and the only communication we had were the old telephone boxes.

"We often used to resolve things informally. If you are arrested now you have a criminal record which is very unfortunate - in the old days you could bring them into custody and hopefully they would learn their lesson.

"If I could go back knowing what I know now it would be different.

"No one worried about targets. If there was a crime you set about detecting it and 'bring it home', simple as that.

"But armed with what we know now it could have been a different world."

Sgt Ball worked in the Witney area since 1964 and is now a fixture at the station's front desk.

During all his years on the beat he never drew his truncheon, he said.

He added: "You have to remember very few members of the public had a telephone in their house let alone a mobile so we actually had less crime reported. It was a very different world to be a police officer back then."

Elaine James said: "I'm very happy to get this certificate. Thames Valley has always been a very family orientated place to work."

Thames Valley Police was formed when county and city forces in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Oxford, Buckinghamshire and Reading were merged.

Exhibitions and artefacts from the past four decades including original uniforms and telephone exchanges were dusted down and put out on show at the birthday party.

The emergency helicopter also attended, together with an armed response vehicle, a police car, horse, and dog and a puppy undergoing training.