ONE of York's two first official police motorcyclists, who spent more than a quarter of a century on the beat in the city, has died aged 85.

PC Brian Holland, of Dringhouses, joined York City Police, now part of North Yorkshire Police, in 1951 and was on duty twice when the Queen Mother visited the city.

For one visit, he used his personal 350cc BSA B31 to provide a police escort for the royal visit with two colleagues, who were also on their own motorcycles. They were so effective, the force bought motorcycles for him and PC Eric Telfor to be the city's first official police motorcyclists.

On the second visit, he had to tell the Queen Mother he was not his brother Michael, now deceased, whom the Royal Family knew because he was in the Household Cavalry.

PC Holland loved traditional policing, walking the streets and making sure that everyone he came across was safe.

His son Kevin said: "Dad was a real gentleman, always helping others, and was one of those people who can add calm to any situation."

He left the police force in 1976 to join the National Westminster Bank's Coney Street branch as a bank messenger, delivering bank letters and cheques in the city, as well as escorting important banking documents to its headquarters in London.

After he retired from the bank in 1995, he continued helping in his neighbourhood, cutting lawns for neighbours and a church, and repairing lawn mowers and cars. He kept in touch with his former police contacts and was a member of the National Association of Retired Police Officers.

PC Holland trained as an agricultural engineer and did National Service with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Germany before joining the police.

He played rugby and badminton for police teams, and won the northern badminton doubles championship with Dave Murfin.

His wife Vera, who died last year aged 86, regularly sang with different operatic societies in York.