Mick Thwaites

Born in Yorkshire to a working-class mining family – Lived in the Belgian Congo as a child his father was involved in the tobacco industry.

Mick joined the City of London Police 1972 as a cadet and lived in the City Of London Section House at Bishopsgate. In march 1973 the IRA set a bomb at the Old Bailey Mick was used with the other cadets in the casualty bureau.

In 1975 the Moorgate tube disaster took place- Cadet Margaret Lyles was in the carriage and had to be cut from the wreckage and sadly lost her leg.

He was one of the first on the scene of the Daily Mirror shooting and witnessed the fallout of Operation Countryman

In a fit of pique decided that he and 2 others would resign from the police, and drive to Australia in a VW Camper. They managed to get to Iran as the revolution was about to take place and had to fly back to the UK.

After returning to the UK Mick applied to re-join the police but this time it was Essex. Mick discusses his time at Rochford and the impact of the Miners strike on him and his family.

Mick continued his service with Essex Police and concluded his service as a temporary ACC.

It was the diagnosis of his wife having breast cancer that was the motivator to retire from Essex Police. He attempted to become the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex Police and narrowly missed winning the popular vote.

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Mick is now a key decision maker with Stockvale who own Southend leisure icons such as Adventure Island and the Sea life centre.

Listen to Micks brilliant story.

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