As he relaxes in the lounge of his 19th century converted farmhouse, deep in the Yorkshire Dales, it is difficult to imagine that Tony Hennigan was once a hard-nosed cop on the streets of Keighley.

The town's former CID chief moved to the idyllic countryside retreat with wife Marion in March.

Nestling cosily at the heart of a chocolate-box hamlet, the property -- which dates from 1840 -- came complete with its own field and some striking views.

"I enjoy walking and the outdoors generally, so when the opportunity arose to move here it was too good to miss -- I am lucky," said Tony, 51, who has just retired from the police force after clocking up three decades of service.

"Clearly it is a very different way of life around here and we love it, but Keighley will always hold a special place for me. I was born and brought up in the town, served through the ranks of the police force there, my wife still works in Keighley and I have a lot of good friends there.

"The majority of Keighley folk are genuine, law abiding and decent."

Despite his retirement from the force, the father-of-three has no intention of taking things easy.

He has recently completed a Land's End to John o' Groats walk -- with his Irish setter Bess -- and next week he starts a new job as a BBC investigator.

His service with the police fittingly culminated with the receipt of a coveted Chief Constable's citation recognising the fact he had not missed a single day's work through illness.

Yet his career path could so easily have taken a very different direction. Indeed when, as a 15-year-old, he left Holy Family School, a life with the constabulary did not figure in his plans.

He took up an apprenticeship -- which he successfully completed in 1971 -- with engineering company Prince Smith Stell.

But a downturn in the industry helped persuade him that perhaps a change of thought was called for.

"When I began my apprenticeship there were a lot of prosperous engineering companies in the town but within a few years the situation had declined rapidly," he said.

"Also I wasn't sure that I wanted to be stood over a machine all day every day."

So instead, the young Tony joined the police force, serving initially as a beat bobby in his home town.

Three years later he moved into CID as a detective constable, being promoted to sergeant in 1978 and then detective sergeant the following year.

He transferred to Bradford in the early 1980s, and was promoted to inspector at Shipley in 1990.

He returned to Keighley as a detective inspector about four years later, and became a detective chief inspector in 1996. He served his last three years as a DCI at Odsal.

Over the years, Tony has seen many changes in the way the police service has operated and in the nature of crimes committed.

Most notably there has been a huge escalation in drug-related incidents, particularly during the past decade, and he says the emphasis when investigating crimes has shifted more towards targeting individuals.

"There have been highs and lows as you would expect, but I have loved my time in the force," he said.

It was through days accrued and leave owing that Tony managed to accumulate the 60 days needed to tackle his marathon trek from one end of Britain to the other.

Because of foot and mouth restrictions, he had to cover the entire route -- of over 1,000 miles -- on tarmac.

The constant road walking -- averaging 20 miles a day -- took its toll on his feet, which became severely swollen and bruised.

At one point -- in Carlisle -- he stopped off at the local infirmary to get them checked.

"I was advised to keep them elevated where possible, which in itself led to one or two amusing situations," said Tony.

"When I stopped for a rest I tended to crash out and keep my feet raised rather than adopt a sitting position.

"I was approached by the police a couple of times, following reports that people had seen a man collapsed at the side of the road!

"During the walk I grew a beard and slept rough on a few occasions, so I probably looked dishevelled and a bit of a dubious character."

He mostly stayed in bed and breakfast accommodation en route, but he also slept in less likely locations, ranging from a garden shed to a derelict railway signal box.

"I met many wonderful people along the way and received a lot of support," he said. "I was determined to complete the walk - there was never a day when I thought I would give up.

"It was the experience of a lifetime."