THE fight against crime in East Yorkshire will be set to verse with Yorkshire poet Ian McMillan being made poet-in-residence to Humberside Police.

In a unique move for the police service, the force's top brass has invited the wordsmith to join its officer on the beat to gain inspiration.

He will go on patrol with officers and train with the diving section as well as observing the policing of a football match.

He said: "They've given me free rein to go and see what I want. I'm really excited about it.

"I don't really know very much about the police, like a lot of people. I hope I'll be able to help people learn a bit more about what it's all about."

Mr McMillan, who has also acted as poet-in-residence at Barnsley Football Club and at train firm Northern Spirit, will be writing both on-the-job, and in a more considered collection later.

He says it is all part of his mission to make poetry a more everyday part of life.

"I suppose I'll feel my mission is accomplished when the officers start using rhymes when they give evidence in court," he said.

To mark his appointment he has written an introductory poem titled "Beat Poet".

It reads:

Here's PC McMillan on the beat,

Policeman's boots on his poet's feet.

PC stands for Poetic Chap

And on his poet's curls there's a copper's cap.

He's starting a rhyme wave round the streets.

Talking in verse to everyone he meets,

And all the different things that the police force do,

He'll jot them down in a verse or two,

And if he sees a street with a crime happening on it,

He'll write it up in an exquisite sonnet!

As well as taking part in police activities, Mr McMillan will also be holding session with officers to try and encourage their writing skills.

Police said he will receive a small fee for his job, which will last six weeks, and believes it is the first appointment of its kind in Britain.

Humberside Police's marketing officer Simon Foster said: "Humberside Police are keen to enable and encourage a greater understanding and appreciation of their work in improving local community safety.

"The poetry residency is seen as a unique opportunity to provide a different interpretation on communicating their quality-of-life policing style to a wider public audience."

Updated: 12:08 Tuesday, January 29, 2002