A POLICE officer who was a well-known face in the city for three decades has passed away.

Geoff Rose died at the age of 85 after a short illness.

The Cambridge native's career spanned the merger of Oxford City Police and Thames Valley Police and saw him work in the force's Kidlington headquarters, train cadets and researching the history of policing in the county.

Geoffrey Rose was born in Cambridge on April 12, 1932 to parents Horace and Kate Rose.

He grew up in the city and was a keen sportsman, enjoying rowing and hockey.

On September 19, 1953 he married his fiancee, Joyce, and the couple went on to have a son and a daughter, Christopher and Debbie.

Before he joined the force he served in the Royal Air Force for three years and then made the decision to become a police officer.

But the constabulary in Cambridge refused to take him on as – at 5ft 7ins – he was too short according to its height requirements.

So he took the decision to move to Oxford and join the city's police force, which was willing to take him on despite his height.

He travelled to Oxford with Joyce and Christopher, a baby at the time, and was sworn in on March 12, 1958, as Police Constable 147.

The couple lived for a while in North Hinksey and Mr Rose served as a bobby on the beat and later became a sergeant.

They later moved to Upper Road, Kennington, where Mr Rose lived until he passed away.

Oxford City Police became Thames Valley Police in 1968 and Mr Rose served in the new force's HQ in Kidlington for a period.

He also trained cadets at Eynsham Hall in the 1970s and spent much time compiling a history of the force, becoming its 'honorary unpaid archivist'.

He hosted many exhibitions of Oxford's policing history and discovered many stories about what life was like as an officer when the force was formed by the Oxford Police Act of 1868.

Mr Rose retired from the police reluctantly in 1987 having completed almost 30 years of service and went on to work for the Highways Agency until he was 65.

He then volunteered at the Museum of Oxford at the Town Hall, a role he kept up until his death.

In his later years he was also an active member of Headington Bowls Club and was a lover of the countryside.

He died at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on September 16 and was laid to rest at a service at St Swithun's Church, Kidlington, on October 3, which was attended by friends, family and many former colleagues.

He is survived by son Christopher and daughter Debbie.