Knitting group helps police provide a teddy tonic

Meet the police's newest recruits '“ on hand to offer comfort for youngsters involved in road accidents or other distressing events.
PC Dawn Conolly-Perch with the knitters at Bonney FabricsPC Dawn Conolly-Perch with the knitters at Bonney Fabrics
PC Dawn Conolly-Perch with the knitters at Bonney Fabrics

Knitted teddy bears, styled to resemble police officers, are already providing a tonic to children in other parts of the country – the Dorset force even offers a knitting pattern on its website after a great response to a public appeal for the creations.

That success caught the eye of a group of Fylde knitters who were keen to create ‘bobby buddies’ of their own.

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Now, more than 40 of the cuddly creations have been presented to Lancashire Police by the volunteers knitters at Bonney Fabrics in St Annes, who are already hard at work on the next batch.

The teddies will be carried in patrol cars and used to comfort young children who are distressed or experiencing a traumatic event.

Bonney Fabrics proprietor and keen knitter Linda Deacon said: “We read about the teddies being so successful in Dorset so offered to knit some for the police here.

“It takes us a few hours to make each one and it’s great to think they might provide comfort.”

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PC Dawn Conolly-Perch, accepting the teddies, said: “The time and effort put in is a fabulous example of how the local community can embrace an idea to support the police.

“These bears will be used at road traffic collisions as a comfort and distraction to both children and their carers and also passed to Immediate Response Officers to be used at incidents that they attend involving children in distress. It’s an act of kindness that is truly appreciated by us all.”