AN ex-policeman who spent 30 years serving the people of York has died at the age of 95.

George Ernest Parker was born in Lincolnshire on January 15, 1913 and served in the Coldstream Guards before applying to join the police force.

His widow, Mabel, of Somerset House Nursing Home, in Wheldrake, said on the day his papers came through to confirm he had been accepted he was given two offers, one of a job in Birmingham and the other of a post in York. He chose to head North.

He met his wife-to-be while on duty in the city.

Mrs Parker said: “I used to work in Spurriergate and used to walk to work. I came down High Ousegate and he was on point duty and we just sort of said “good morning”.

“I used to have to go to the post office with the post every evening and he would be in St Helen’s Square on duty and we would say hello to each other.

“One night he said ‘how would you like to go to the pictures with me?’.

“We arranged to go to the cinema, and it went on from there.”

The film the couple went to see was The Glass Mountain, about a wartime romance.

Their own romance progressed until they were married York Register Office three years later in 1952.

They had one daughter, Elaine, who was born in 1954 and now lives in Germany.

The couple originally lived in Ouseburn Avenue in York, but then bought some land and had a bungalow built in Sutton-upon-Derwent, where they remained for 35 years.

After retiring from the police force, Mr Parker worked for Raylors in James Street, but was made redundant after just a short period of time.

In his spare time, Mrs Parker said her husband liked gardening and grew all his own vegetables. But he had a particular passion for roses with around 25 varieties in the garden.

She moved into Somerset House two years ago and Mr Parker followed her a year ago.

She said: “He was beautiful. I could not have had a better husband.”

Mr Parker died on January 3. His funeral takes place on Friday at St Helen’s Church, in Wheldrake, at 12.30pm.