A CAMPAIGN to keep a popular city bobby on the beat is gathering pace after police chiefs said he could not stay on.

PC Vince Treagus is local policing officer for Cathedral ward and he has been patrolling the city centre, Arboretum, Diglis and Britannia Square areas of Worcester for 18 years.

But the widely-respected officer is on the way out after West Mercia Police declined to extend his contract past March next year.

The force says he agreed to retire in return for receiving a tax-free lump sum.

PC Treagus, who joined the force in 1974, will begin his 38th year of service with West Mercia tomorrow – his 56th birthday.

He said he would “love to” carry on and had asked to be kept on under the Age Discrimination Act 2006 but his bosses say this cannot be done due to the contract he signed.

Under the force’s ‘30-plus’ rule PC Treagus cannot stay on after 37 years service with West Mercia because he retired and then rejoined the force for a pension benefit.

If he had not done that then he could have stayed on longer.

News of PC Treagus’ possible departure has been greeted with dismay.

A webpage is being set up by campaigners keen to keep him in post and a petition circulated locally.

Maz Madzarevic, who runs Keystones bar in the city centre, said PC Treagus was a “copper of the old school” who gets results.

“He knows when to take someone to one side for a chat, because he’s got common sense,” he said.

“It’ll be a big loss if he goes.”

Caroline Oakes, who manages the Horizon Community Centre in Midland Road at the heart of the Asian community, said: “Vince is invaluable.

“He has a lot of trust and respect particularly with the young Asian men who are notoriously difficult but they all respect him.”

Stephen Hornberger, a city resident, credited PC Treagus with stopping him getting involved with the wrong crowd after he had a quiet word in his ear when he lived in Sansome Place two years ago.

“I am certain he saved me from a criminal conviction,” he said.

Joy Muir, a resident who has helped put together the campaign to save PC Treagus’ job, said: “He combines old-style policing with modern policing methods.”

He polices the ward with a sergeant and four community support officers.

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: “The 30-plus retention scheme was introduced in December 2002.

“It assists police forces in retaining officers with 30 years pensionable service who have valuable skills, knowledge and experience.

“Officers who chose to join the scheme got a tax free lump sum.

“The national agreement for the scheme is that the extra service must not exceed seven years.”

She said officers can otherwise serve until they are 60 and the force does not automatically retire officers with 30 years service.