Happy ending for Monkey Mikey

Jack, aged five, from London, was looking after his school’s mascot, Mikey the Monkey with his family, on a visit to Camber Sands earlier this summer but managed to mislay the soft toy on the beach.

Unfortunately, the family had to travel home to London without Mikey but not long after a local resident found the cheeky chappie and brought him to the attention of PCSO Dan Bevan, Camber’s Police Community Support Officer.

Following a few enquiries and a bit of investigative work Dan tracked down the school he belonged to and agreed to deliver Mikey home safely.

Mikey and his escorts, PCSOs Dan Bevan and James Armstrong travelled to Hitherfield Primary School in London a few weeks ago to return him.

“They also spent time having a chat with Jack and his friends about beach safety and stranger danger.

PCSO Bevan said: “I think it’s so important to educate as many children as possible about safety on the beach.

“When the staff of Hitherfield Primary School kindly invited us to deliver Mikey the Monkey in person and to meet all the children we jumped at the chance.

“There are so many families from London who visit Camber during the summer so it made perfect sense for us to make them more aware of the dangers and escorting Mikey home gave us the perfect chance.

“We gave a short talk about beach safety for those going to the seaside in the holidays, we also answered lots of questions.

“We even gave a small input on stranger danger and being safe.”

At the end of the visit Dan wrote a little message in Mikey’s diary commemorating his time in Camber with Sussex Police.

PCSO Bevan has also devoted time to speaking to primary school children in the Rye area about how to play safely when at the beach.