AN UNSUNG hero from Musselburgh has been hailed by colleagues for his commitment to policing.

Alistair Shields, a “much-missed” special constable who gave 45 years to policing, sadly passed away earlier this year following an illness. He was 66.

His service was recognised at the Scottish Police Federation’s annual awards at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Mr Shields, formerly of Haddington and well known in the East Lothian swimming community, followed up 30 years in the police force by volunteering as a special constable for a further 15 years.

He worked in East Lothian and in Edinburgh, and had a particular speciality in refining techniques relating to airport-style bag and body searches.

He designed the search regime which is still in practice at the Scottish Parliament and even visited the USA to provide input for the Secret Service.

His dedication to the “search community” continued over the years, imparting training and advice to younger officers.

In 1993, he was commended for tackling a man armed with a crossbow, and later for his work to trace missing people suffering from dementia.

Away from policing, he was an “integral part” of Scottish and UK swimming, where he served as a referee and trainer for technical officials.

PS David Cuthbert, who nominated him, said: “After 30 years of service, Alistair decided he still wanted to give more as a special constable for nearly 15 more years.

“His generosity of spirit and relentless enthusiasm was inspiring, yet he remained humble and grounded, happy knowing he was doing his utmost to help others.”

At the awards ceremony, police officers in Edinburgh and the Lothians were recognised for their lifesaving acts of bravery and commitment to their communities.

Across Scotland, a total of 29 officers, including constables, sergeants, detectives and inspectors, were shortlisted in six categories at the awards.

David Threadgold, chair of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “Reading through the nominations for this year’s awards is a humbling experience and demonstrates the extraordinary bravery and commitment shown by our officers.

“The situations dealt with by police serving our communities can sometimes be extremely dangerous and none of us should ever take what they do for granted.

“Our annual awards are a moment to recognise those who go above and beyond to keep the public safe with dignity and resolve, before coming back to work to do it all again.

“We are incredibly proud of all the nominees and are grateful to each of them for their amazing achievements.”

Chief Constable Jo Farrell added: “The bravery, dedication, skill and professionalism of our officers is hugely impressive and I thank the Scottish Police Federation for shining a light on some of their outstanding work.

“These awards are an important night in the policing calendar, when we recognise and celebrate our officers for their vital public service.

“I thank all officers and their families for everything they do for policing and our communities.”

Following Mr Shields’ death in July, East Lothian Swim Team – made up of the most talented young athletes from Haddington, Musselburgh and Tranent swim clubs – paid tribute to Mr Shields.

A statement said: “Alistair’s impact on swimmers, volunteers and the sport of swimming as a whole can’t be measured.

“We are thankful for all he gave to our county and to the wider swimming community.”