[2] He did his national service in the Royal Engineers, serving in Japan during the Korean War.
[2][1] He moved to Surrey Constabulary in 1973, where he became chief superintendent in command of the Guildford division in 1974.
[1] There, he took charge of the response to the Guildford pub bombings of 5 October 1974.
[1] In 1983, he returned to Scotland as chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police,[3][1] where he remained from thirteen years.
[5] While in Cheshire, he married policewoman Jennie Abbott, who came from Lancashire.