THE CASES that a former policeman was sent to in St Helens have shaped the basis of his first book, which was released last month.

Written by Dave Leigh, who served as a policeman in St Helens for 19 years, 'Nightshift' is a semi-autobiographical book based on the nighttime endeavours the police force can be called to.

From sudden deaths to domestic disputes, and car chases to traffic accidents, Dave's stories highlight the variety of stressful things that can be thrown at responders.

Aware of the mental strain that such cases can have, Dave said that he includes important messages about the mental health of police officers and the state of the criminal justice system.

However, he said he tries to retain a comedic tone to show how officers often use dark humour to cope with such dark episodes.

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St Helens Star: Dave's 'Nightshift' bookDave's 'Nightshift' book (Image: Dave Leigh)

Dave, who spent the last 11 years of his police career as the Lead Personal Safety Trainer for Merseyside, said: "The book is based on the sort of things that have happened in my service in the police force.

"It's a fictional group of bobbies, with their stories set in a timeline of what they get up to on the night shift.

"While they are based on my experiences, the stories have been altered slightly to make the book funnier. Although I made sure to include some serious messages in there."

St Helens Star: Dave now works at veteran mental health organisation, No DuffDave now works at veteran mental health organisation, No Duff (Image: Dave Leigh)

Self-published on Amazon in December 2022, Dave said he had the inspiration to write the book after working on The Responder TV series, which aired on the BBC in early 2022.

The 55-year-old worked as a police advisor for the script, with his roles including proofreading the script and training lead actor Martin Freeman on how to properly use handcuffs.

Dave, from Blackbrook, said: "After I worked on the Responder, I just thought 'I can give this a go myself'.

"The response to the book so far has been great, both from police officers and the general public. Lots of people have said they've laughed out loud."

Retiring from the police force in 2019, Dave now works at veteran mental health organisation, No Duff, and also delivers self-defence classes across St Helens, more recently with a focus on women and girls.

Following the positive feedback to 'Nightshift', he has plans to further his police series with more books.