THE Lord Mayor, the Chief Constable and all manner of York dignitaries lined up to honour John Lacy at his retirement bashes this week and last. But a particular place in the former top cop's heart was reserved for a less highbrow guest - his very first arrest.

The story is pure Heartbeat. John Lawson, 62, is now a plumber with years of respectability behind him. But three decades ago he would boost his meagre income with a spot of sheep rustling.

Every week or so, John would creep into a field, bash an unfortunate ruminant on the head and take the carcass home in his motorcycle sidecar. There he would skin the beast and pass it on to a York butcher for dressing.

"I'd sell the meat on the nightshift at Armstrong's or somewhere for a quarter of the shop price," John confessed.

He reckoned he had nicked 1,132 sheep until an encounter with young PC Lacy brought the enterprise to an end.

One December, the policeman had been posted on the York back roads to hunt for thieves of turkeys and Christmas trees.

Suddenly John Lawson's 650 Aerial Huntmaster motorcycle and sidecar approached from the direction of Strensall Common.

PC Lacy stopped the vehicle and demanded to speak to whoever he could see sitting inside the enclosed sidecar.

It's just the girlfriend, pleaded Mr Lawson. There's no need to disturb her.

The future police commander insisted on opening the sidecar - to be met with a bizarre sight. "I'd loaded the sheep into the sidecar and dressed it in a coat, crash helmet and goggles."

The discovery notched up the first of countless arrests by officer Lacy - and forced Mr Lawson to sell his motorbike to pay the fine, ending his scam.

He got off lightly. "The last men before me were hanged," he said, referring to Messrs Rook and Gaskill, whose notoriety as the last sheep stealers to be executed in York 300 years ago is immortalised as the name of the Lawrence Street pub.

John Lawson and John Lacy are now mates, and the incident was recalled by Mr Lacy at his do at York Racecourse last Friday. "

I tried hiding but everybody's eyes went on me so they knew who I was already," said Mr Lawson.

INCIDENTALLY, John Lawson has 21 children from five marriages. His current wife, Margaret, doyenne of the Evening Press letters page, has kept him on the straight and narrow for the last 21 years. "She's done really well," said the devoted husband.

OF all the tributes to Sir Peter Ustinov, we enjoyed Michael Winner's the best. He told ITV1's lunchtime news on Monday that the late actor would "be remembered for his erotic - er, exotic - film career".

A NEW book is out featuring photographs of hair salons with punning names.

This prompted a letter from Surrey to a national newspaper, the writer recalling "a barber's shop in a narrow street in York, appropriately named Alley Barber". Anyone else remember it?

Of the modern crop of crimpers, we are quite keen on the names Million Hairs, found in both York and Selby, and Hairport, in Wains Road, York.

We're less sure about the barbershop in Earswick. Would you be keen on a shave with a cut-throat razor in a place called Nicks?

Write to: The Diary, Chris Titley, The Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN

Email diary@ycp.co.uk

Telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337

Updated: 10:14 Wednesday, March 31, 2004