Mark Heath describes career from farming to police and more

Mark was born in Sherborne and moved to a village on Dartmoor at a young age.

He had an early introduction to guns, starting with shooting jackdaws at the next door vicarage. Mark said: "In today's world I would probably have the honour of an ASBO, which may just have had an adverse influence on my subsequent police career."

Weekends, holidays and evenings after school in the summer were spent helping out on a local farm run by Jack Reddaway and his son Michael, together with a cousin Tony.

Feeding sheep and cattle, stacking bales, tying fleeces, fencing, sheep dipping, and tractor driving were all practical skills that he says helped with a common-sense approach to some complicated ‘interesting stuff’ when policing difficult areas of London.

At 16 Mark joined the police cadets in London, attracted by the opportunity to play sport, get paid and learn something about policing before joining the adult force at the age of 18.

The next 31 years were spent running around London, starting as a young constable in patrolling the salubrious Kilburn High Road at all hours to running a drugs and vice squad as a sergeant, then as an inspector on the Territorial Support Unit dealing with violent public order and providing crime patrol support to areas of London with a problem, followed by running a surveillance team.

A period as a Detective Chief Inspector was an eye opener even after his previous experience, leading a number of serious crime enquiries covering murder, serious sexual assault amongst other crimes.

Mark Heath (Image: Bloxham PR)

A posting to Tottenham followed as a Superintendent and then Chief Superintendent. Mark was then posted to New Scotland Yard to set up a new command to work on a re-structure of criminal justice in London.

Mark said: "Probably the most demanding job through my service complicated with politics - being in the middle of a riot was far more preferable.

"I escaped after three years and was appointed Borough Commander Camden, during which we had the bombings at Russell Square and Tavistock Square in the borough which was a tough day.

"After four years I was asked to take over The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea but would I be prepared to stay an extra year after my possible retirement date on the command. Of course I would, if you enjoy your job its not really work it’s a pleasure."

As thoughts turned to retirement, Mark wondered what was next.

He said: "Now as the option of retirement beckoned the question was, what was I going to do, sitting on my backside living off my pension would drive both me and my family absolutely nuts.

"Getting on the train every day or even global travel associated with a job in a security, risk management would only hold my attention for so long.

"Could I turn my two hobbies of shooting and sailing into sufficient work to keep me occupied and out of trouble? Having shot competitively for years and a keen game shot, plus I was back into sailing with a commercially endorsed skippers licence let's see what we could do."

Mark did his shooting instructors course and started doing some work at West London Shooting School, Royal Berkshire and Holland & Holland.

He soon started doing the personal client instruction and took a real interest in the dark art of gun fitting.

Mark enjoys teaching his clients (Image: Bloxham PR)

After a short while he went through the scrutiny of the sales director at Purdeys to do their gun fittings, then a short time after he was asked for a meeting with the Directors of West London Shooting School.

He said: "Would I be prepared to help run the shooting school was the question - the rest as they say is history. When your hobby is your job, which is an absolute pleasure, and therefore it's not really work is it?

"I am incredibly fortunate in that I enjoy what I do, I meet some great people many who have become good friends. I run the front of house of the famous West London Shooting School, teach clients and do the gun fittings for many of the famous manufacturers and individual clients, I also get some incredible invitations to shoot at stunningly beautiful places.

"I can also do this to various degrees until I’m close to needing a Zimmer frame.

"What’s not to like, farming to policing to shooting I have had an enormous amount of pleasure from all of it.

"Maybe the practical farming skills set me up for the success in the other two areas, maybe all Chief Superintendents should have farming experience, just a thought."