A WELL-RESPECTED Dales police officer is retiring this month after 29 years of service. After working in agriculture and forestry, a young Julian Sutcliffe opted to join North Yorkshire Police, attracted to working in rural environment. Eleven years ago, his background and love of nature saw him appointed one of the force’s specialist wildlife crime officers, a role he undertook additional to his normal workload. Appointed as the beat manager at Leyburn in 2013 and responsible for the vast Yorkshire Dales, this dual role meant he had one of the largest beats in the country. PC Sutcliffe has enjoyed a good working relationship with agencies such as the RSPB, RSPCA and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. He also highly regards the work by volunteer groups such as Dales Farm Watch and Swaledale Mountain Rescue.