Felix

P.C.25 Martin was one of Bacup’s most respected police officers.

Known as Felix, by local people he earned this nickname as he carried out point duty in Bacup Centre, where he walked backwards and forwards with his hands clasped behind his back just like Felix the Cat a 1920 cartoon character.

One of his most interesting cases involved a robbery taking place at a local quarry in the middle of the night; in blowing the safe the thieves accidentally knocked the telephone from the stand on the desk, and a live connection was established between the quarry and the local telephone exchange, the intern contacted the Police station and when the thieves emerged from the quarry office they were confronted by members of the local constabulary.

P.C. Martin retired at the end of the 1940s with the rank of senior inspector.