A MAN who came to Ross-on-Wye as a beat bobby and made the town his home for nearly 45 years has died.

Cyril Joyce, known as Olly, died of prostate cancer at Ross Community Hospital last Thursday (May 24) aged 79.

He moved to Ross with his family in 1963 and became a well-known and popular figure.

During his police career he was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and in 1977 received the Queen's Jubilee Medal, an honour bestowed on a select number of officers who had served with the police continuously since the start of the monarch's reign in 1952.

In his first year as a young police constable, he also received a medal for resuscitating and saving a young Hereford woman who had tried to take her own life.

On retiring from West Mercia Constabulary in 1978, he set up his own light haulage business, trading successfully for 20 years.

Mr Joyce was born in Winsford in Cheshire in 1927 and joined the former Herefordshire Constabulary in 1949 after completing two years' National Service.

He was stationed at Eaton Bishop, Hereford and Ledbury before his Ross posting.

He had a lifelong love of sport. In the 1950s he played regularly for the county's police football team and was in the line-up when they gave the mighty Metropolitan force a shock in the National Police Cup.

The county minnows were expected to be easy opposition for the all-conquering Londoners but forced a draw at the Essex Arms ground in Hereford before losing the replay at Watford's Vicarage Road.

In the 1970s he became a keen bowler with the Ross club and was club champion three times and represented Herefordshire.

He was an enthusiastic committee member and fund-raiser and was awarded life membership for his services to the club.

He and his wife Evelyn married at St Martin's Church, Hereford, in 1950 and celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary last month.

Although christened Cyril, Mr Joyce preferred to be called Olly - a nickname given to him as a young man when he did impersonations of Stan Laurel's comic sidekick Oliver Hardy.

A funeral service will be held at Mary's Church, Ross, followed by private cremation at Hereford. Details were still being finalised at the time of going to press, and are available from Abbotsfield Funeral Directors on 01989 562762.