A FORMER bobby on the beat has described the moment he was confronted by a raging woman “intent on killing a police officer” as he prepares to release a book.

Paul Watson patrolled the streets of Basildon, Shoebury and Canvey during a 30-year career in the force.

Since his retirement in April 2008, Paul has turned his attentions to writing Three Decades in Blue – An English Bobby’s Story.

Despite spending the final five years of his career away from crime scenes as a community policeman, Paul was left fearing for his life months before leaving the world of work behind.

He said: “As a police officer, I was open to everything and anything that may cross my path and about four months before I retired, a person appeared outside the front of Shoebury Police Station, smashing bottles.

“I went to investigate thinking it may be some nuisance teenager up to mischief but was soon confronted by an unstable young lady armed with a kitchen knife who, unknown to me at that moment, had come there that day with an intention of killing a policeman.

“A combination of being light on my feet and able to use a parked police vehicle on the forecourt of the station as an obstacle to keep between us meant that between the time I first engaged with her and the time other bobbies arrived to assist was quite short – although, in such circumstances, time feels like it stretches and a few minutes can seem like forever.

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“The young lady, it seemed, had mental health issues but the threat to my safety was real and so when the point came that I could consider retirement, it was an easy decision to make.

“I had got to that point after 30 years and was still alive!”

Paul, 61, began his policing career in March 1978 and keeping diaries throughout his time on the force has allowed him to get to grips with writing Three Decades in Blue – An English Bobby’s Story.

He added: “I hadn’t read any of my diaries since the day I wrote them, so going back through them has reminded me of certain things I had forgotten.

“There were twists and turns in my career but, as the cliche goes, whenever one door closed, another opened.

“I have always considered myself to be really lucky and retelling these stories makes me realise that even more.”