Three top West Yorkshire Police officers have drummed up a new meaning for going on the beat.

Boys in blue Phil Read, Shaun Berry and Max McLean last night swapped their police uniforms to become the men in black as they performed in their rock band.

Dressed all in black, they were an arresting sight for 70 colleagues, who joined 80 members of the Branshaw Golf Club at Oakworth, near Keighley, to see their latest concert.

During the 90-minute set, the five-strong group belted out pop and rock classics like All Right Now, Maggie May and Prince's Purple Rain.

Shaun Berry looked as mean, moody and fast-fingered as his hero Eric Clapton, Phil Read adopted the rock solid John Entwistle look, while behind the drums Max McLean performed with the energy and enthusiasm of Keith Moon.

Bradford-born rhythm guitarist Chief Superintendent Phil Read, 46, the former divisional commander for Bradford North, started up the group, called Reload, with his lead singer neighbour, former professional musician Mags Barker, 49, a supermarket administration manager, two years ago.

They were joined by Mags' auctioneer brother John Harland, 53, also a former professional bass guitarist, and Chief Supt Max McLean, the senior police officer in Calderdale, on drums.

The band line up was completed last summer when Detective Inspector Shaun Berry, of Keighley CID, was encouraged to join the ranks with his lead guitar.

Said Shaun, 43: "Since I joined in July we have been rehearsing hard with a lot of new material. We have started to play concerts and we are looking to do more gigs now."

The group perform cover versions of rock and pop classics by big names like the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Rod Stewart, Free, Gary Moore and Prince.

They rehearse every fortnight in the gym at Eccleshill police station - in the evening when there are not too many other officers to disturb. Shaun said: "We had some leg-pulling from colleagues to begin with. I guess you don't expect senior police officers to be leaping about on stage playing rock music.

"But when they listened to us they realised we were pretty good and now a lot of them come to our concerts."

There is also a serious side to the band's performances, as they raise money for charity from their concerts, particularly for a children's leukaemia charity.

Explained Phil Read, who is now head of the Force's Community Safety Department: "Mags suffered leukaemia but she is in remission now, so our main charity work is aimed at leukaemia."

Last night's concert was to commemorate the tragic sudden death two years ago of Keighley Detective Constable Hughie Brady, and to raise money for two Keighley children with health problems - Laura Loftus, 17, who is battling with a serious illness, and seven year-old Keiron Spencer, who needs £10,000 to send him to America for specialist treatment for autism.

Reload was also the first band to perform and raise money for the family of Bradford traffic policeman Ian Broadhurst, who was shot and killed on duty, and have raised around £5,000 in total from previous concerts.

Said Shaun: "We've all got tough, busy jobs and it is a release. We just want to be as good as we can be and have fun with it. It's relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable, and if we can achieve some fundraising as well, that's brilliant."

Phil, whose guitar heroes are Eric Clapton and Brian May of Queen, said: "It's good to be involved in something outside the police circles. Playing the guitar is a good release from the pressures of work, a useful hobby and a way of raising money.

"We are not interested in playing Wembley next week, we just want to put on a good show. Mags and John have the expertise and we have a good musical rapport. And we don't fall out, like most rock bands. If a song works we keep it, if it doesn't we bin it."

Max McLean, who took up drumming when he was 13 and has played at venues like Batley Variety Club, smiled: "We find the time to rehearse. There's no chance of me being called out from behind my drums to attend a call.

"We'd like to develop as a band and play those bigger venues again. But the main focus is to raise money for good causes."

The band has even been into a small studio near Bradford to record a 4-track demo CD so that anyone interested in booking them can hear them first.

l Anyone who wants Reload to play at their venue can contact Shaun Berry on (01535) 617080.