Tribute to gentle giant from Worthing features in West Sussex Constabulary exhibition

PC Bob Barnett was 6ft 6in tall with size 12 boots and, weighing in at 21 stone, he stood out among his colleagues at Worthing Police Station.

A photograph of him on traffic duty at Chichester Cross featured alongside his high-neck tunic in an exhibition put together by former Worthing policeman Alan Moore in Chichester this week.

The photo, taken by photographer Harry Guermonprez on January 16, 1950, was brought to light by Tom Curry, who worked with PC Barnett as a policeman at Worthing and recently wrote the book Wor Tomis The Polis – Geordie for Our Thomas The Policeman.

Brothers Bob Barnett from Dorset and Martin Barnett from Worthing joined Tom at the exhibition in The Old Court Room at The Council House in Chichester on Thurday, April 21.

Martin said his father had been a tall man and everyone knew him as a gentle giant.

Tom worked with PC Barnett at Worthing in the late 1960s and 1970s and it was through his book that he had contact with Martin for the first time.

The high-neck tunic which PC Barnett wore was in the style worn in the 1900s.

Tom said: “He joined about 1947 but they were worn up until the 1950s and when he retired in the 1970s, he handed in one of the old uniforms.

“I joined the police and went to Worthing in 1967. My eyes were like saucers when I saw the uniform that had been handed in by that Bobby because it was a high-neck tunic like they wore in the 1900s.”

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