It is a job which is varied, exciting but can also be dangerous. Reporter Rebecca Murphy spent time on shift with Breckland police.

Eastern Daily Press: Out on shift with Norfolk Police. PC Amy Lucas and PC David Sayer. Picture: Sonya DuncanOut on shift with Norfolk Police. PC Amy Lucas and PC David Sayer. Picture: Sonya Duncan (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

Unlike many jobs, when you’re a police officer you never quite know what you’re going to face when you arrive at work.

No shift can be classed as normal and while some days can be less frantic than others, it is this variety and challenges it brings which many officers enjoy.

Pc David Sayer, of Breckland Police, has been with Norfolk Constabulary for nearly 13 years. He said that although the job can be stressful, there are no dull moments.

On Monday during Pc Sayer’s 3pm until 11pm shift, he was involved in five jobs. This may not sound a lot but the incidents he attended - including two missing persons and a domestic - can take hours to sort, with safeguarding measures and reports.

Eastern Daily Press: PC David Sayer and PC Amy Lucas stop traffic on the A11 at Thetford following a collision involving a lorry and a car. Picture: Sonya DuncanPC David Sayer and PC Amy Lucas stop traffic on the A11 at Thetford following a collision involving a lorry and a car. Picture: Sonya Duncan (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

Pc Sayer and his colleague did not finish their shift until 1am due to a domestic incident, which was complex as it involved children and an arrest.

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He said: “So what would I expect coming in on a shift? It is very difficult to say, there is no rhyme or reason or pattern to the job load that comes in.

Eastern Daily Press: PC David Sayer Closing a lane of the A11 due to an incident. Picture: Sonya DuncanPC David Sayer Closing a lane of the A11 due to an incident. Picture: Sonya Duncan (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

“We are governed by our control room and respond to the jobs which are given to us, whether they be an anti-social behaviour issue or a serious road traffic collision or a sudden death.

“You just respond to the job and move onto the next one.”

For police in the Breckland district, they spend a lot of time responding to incidents on the A11 which can be quite time consuming. Out on patrol with Pc Sayer and Pc Amy Lucas on Tuesday, the first call we attended was a collision between a car and a lorry on the A11 at Thetford. There was no damage or injuries and after a quick lane closure it was back on the road.

But within 15 minutes we were back on the same stretch of road to help with a broken down lorry.

Eastern Daily Press: PC Amy Lucas putting out signs to warn of a broken down lorry blocking one lane of the A11. Picture: Sonya DuncanPC Amy Lucas putting out signs to warn of a broken down lorry blocking one lane of the A11. Picture: Sonya Duncan (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

A lane closure was put in place and we were stationed on the road along with another crew to ensure the safety of the road users.

After just over an hour we were freed up to continue responding to emergencies.

During the 3pm to 11pm shift we were called to a concern for safety in Thetford after a woman was worried after her mum did not answer the door. Fortunately all turned out well.

We also undertook anti-social patrols around areas in Thetford and looked into an enquiry from another police force, where words of advice were given regarding a complaint.

Eastern Daily Press: PC Amy Lucas, Community engagement officer for Brekcland. Picture: Sonya DuncanPC Amy Lucas, Community engagement officer for Brekcland. Picture: Sonya Duncan (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

Eastern Daily Press: Out on shift with Norfolk Police. Pictured is PC David Sayer and PC Amy Lucas. Picture: Sonya DuncanOut on shift with Norfolk Police. Pictured is PC David Sayer and PC Amy Lucas. Picture: Sonya Duncan (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

‘I thoroughly enjoy the job’

PC Sayer said: “I thoroughly enjoy the job I’m doing and that’s basically down to team work, good people to work with and we have a good working relationship.

“The job can be very stressful at times but through team work we get through that and it is the variety of different jobs you get every day.

“There is no dull 9-5 issues it can be full on right from the get go and right until the end of the shift and beyond the end of the shift.

“So often working late but the team pulls together and we get the thing done.”

If you want to report an incident that is not an emergency you can call the 101 service.

Other crimes or incidents, including anti-social behaviour, lost or found property or dashboard camera footage can be reported online.

Visit the Norfolk police website for more information.