Meet the Leeds PCSO who has had a bounty placed on him and tracked down murder suspects during his decade on the beat

Nick Smith, 49, was in his mid-30s and working in the building trade when colleagues recommended he join the police force. As applications for PCs were frozen at the time he applied to be a PCSO and has not looked back since.

Nick has become a familiar face to those in South Leeds – who know him as ‘PC Nick’ and ‘Mr Beeston’ – and can often be seen riding his pushbike around the community and engaging with residents, charity workers, victims of crime and, of course, the odd criminal.

“I absolutely love it” he said. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else. It’s all about getting to know people and learning what’s going on and where the hotspots are. You’re working with both sides. I’m known in the area for getting stuck in. There’s never a dull day.”

Nick told the Yorkshire Evening Post how despite only travelling a few miles to work, he’s amazed how different life is in South Leeds.

He said: “It’s your typical inner-city suburb with low incomes and high crime rates. Drugs are rife and there’s a lot of gangs. At first it was a big culture shock. It’s about eight miles from where I live and it’s like a different world.”

He said that his work over the years has seen him trace down drug dealers and murderers throughout Beeston with the help of those in the area he has built ties with.

He said: “It all stems from the work we do on the ground and the intelligence we gather. It’s about building a bigger picture.”

Nick explained how he has become a thorn in the side of criminals and been called in to action on a few occasions, including when he cycled after a drunk driver in a van, pulled up next to him at a traffic light and turned the engine off.

He explained that aside from tracing crime on a day to day he acts as a presence within the community, giving talks in schools about knife crime and meeting with residents at coffee mornings and local centres.

Nick said: “It’s normally one of those jobs where people move on but I have stayed in South Leeds. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. I even play Santa for two or three of the schools. It’s good for us to be about so kids know they can talk to us if they want. It’s all about building that trust.”

He continued: “People ask why I don’t put in to join the regulars but I love making a difference for people in Beeston that work hard for a living and care for the community. We are never going to solve everything but there are a lot of people trying to make people’s lives better.”

Nick’s hard effort in the community saw him crowned PCSO of the Year at the Leeds District Awards, which he said was an “honour”. Despite the concern his wife has for his safety, Nick says he has no plans to stop working with his team and serving the Beeston community any time soon.