THE first batch of student police officers has graduated from a York college - and marked its departure by giving a £350 boost to the Guardian Angels appeal.

Fourteen trainee police officers have spent the last four months at York St John College, following a North Yorkshire Police decision to begin training its officers regionally.

The force hopes the Home Office-backed project will become recognised as best practice for on-campus police training in the UK.

Shortly after starting their training, the York students decided to contribute to the local community by adopting the Evening Press' Guardian Angels appeal, which aims to raise £300,000 for a new high dependency unit at York Hospital.

They adopted a mascot, a pocket-sized donkey called Dylan, and each week a different student took charge of Dylan and introduced him to outside speakers attending training courses at the college.

"Failure to comply with the rules meant a variety of fines to the charity," said training college manager Sergeant Iain Sirrell.

"One nervous student officer had the formidable task of introducing Dylan to the Chief Constable, Della Cannings, to avoid a fine.

The Chief Constable was amused by the mascot and delighted with the idea of raising money for a local charity, and promptly made a donation of her own."

More funds were raised when some of the male students endured leg and back waxing, and officers were fined for not having their boots bulled and other uniform violations. A quiz night at the college in November also boosted the funds.

The cheque was presented to Chief Reporter and Guardian Angels appeal co-ordinator Mike Laycock during the passing out ceremony.

Updated: 11:37 Tuesday, January 31, 2006