A senior detective who spearheaded blitzes on binge-drinking in Bradford city centre is retiring to Cyprus.

Det Insp Mick Chippindale, who lives in Bradford, spent more than half of his 30-year West Yorkshire Police career in the city.

He started at Pudsey in 1980 and worked in Leeds until moving to Bradford in 1989.

He was promoted through the ranks to Inspector, working at Dudley Hill and Toller Lane before transferring to the discipline and complaints unit.

In 2003 he moved to Bradford South as a uniformed Inspector and as licensing inspector he led a year-long crackdown on binge-drinking, working with licensees to target trouble-spot pubs and clubs. The tough measures saw an 11 per cent reduction in the number of assaults where victims were injured.

He was also at the forefront of a crackdown on unlicensed door staff in Bradford city centre.

Det Insp Chippindale, who has spent the last five years of his career in Calderdale, helped to police the miners’ strike in the 1980s and the Salman Rushdie protest in Bradford at the end of that decade.

He retires at the end of this month and will set out to Cyprus, with his wife Kathryn and their nine-year-old twins Aidan and Leigh, next month.

Det Insp Chippindale, 54, said: “It has been a great career. I’ve enjoyed every minute.

“I have dealt with some big cases but the highlight has been simply working with the communities, doing my best for them and being recognised for doing a good job.

“I have got mixed emotions about leaving. I have enjoyed my service throughout the 30 years. There are lots of friends and colleagues who I will miss, but you have to look to the future and I have the chance to live abroad and start a new life.” Det Insp Chippindale also has three grown-up children – Craig, Jill and Dawn – from a previous relationship, and three granddaughters.