Budding bobby Chris Rowe saved two vulnerable people only days after putting on the uniform.

The 24-year-old trained as a Police Community Support Officer to prepare him for a future as a full-time policeman.

And a week after going on the beat, the former rugby league professional raised the alarm after spotting a missing man, before remarkably repeating the feat two days later. Bingley-based PCSO Rowe, who lives in Shipley, said: “I am proud of what I did but it was all down to luck.”

PCSO Rowe started work at Bingley at the end of November. A week later he was on his way home after a shift when he spotted a 68-year-old man who had been missing after becoming separated from his wife during a shopping trip.

More than 20 officers had been carrying out a search for the pensioner, who had Alzheimer’s Disease, when Chris spotted him near the Yorkshire Clinic at Cottingley.

He said: “I had heard about the search earlier in the day and remembered the description of the man. He was 6ft 3ins. I saw this tall, elderly man who looked vulnerable and told my girlfriend, who was driving, to stop.

“When we turned the car round he was wandering in the middle of the road. We got him to safety.”

Two days later a 35-year-old man with learning difficulties failed to arrive back at Ilkley train station at 5pm after a trip to Shipley.

With snowy weather, police started a manhunt. PCSO Rowe was being driven home after a late shift when he spotted the missing man near Saltaire roundabout.

Both men were taken to hospital for check ups and made full recoveries. Inspector Andy Longden, of Bingley police, said: “Chris has shown good early promise. It would be unusual for any officer to spot two missing people like this, let alone someone so new to the job.”

e-mail: steve.wright@telegraphandargus.co.uk