GOING for a job interview is a nerve-racking experience at the best of times but imagine knowing at some point you would have to reveal you suffered from mental illness.

This was the situation which faced Emily Clark, 26, when she applied and won a job at Wiltshire police headquarters in Devizes.

This week Miss Clark, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was at the forefront of a police campaign to show support to Mental Health Awareness Week which runs until May 20.

On Monday she joined chief constable Kier Pritchard and crime commissioner Angus Macpherson as they launched her bid to pedal the distance between Land’s End and John O’Groats on a static bike.

She works as a personal assistant and is also a special constable. But she soon hopes to start her dream job as a full-time police officer.

She said: “I started suffering from depression when I was in my teens but I only got my diagnosis two years ago. It made a huge difference to me and my family to finally know what was wrong.

“My school years were difficult but since joining the police I have had tremendous support and my condition is now controlled with medication.”

But not everyone reacts well when told of her condition. She said: “When I tell people I have bipolar they are often surprised because I have a full-time job, go to the gym and live a normal life and it’s not what people expect. Usually, they expect me to be in a padded cell.

She is one of over 20 Blue Light champions across Wiltshire Police, offering peer to peer support to officers and staff.

Chief Constable Pritchard revealed he has also suffered from mental health issues during his police career which started in 1993. He found it difficult to cope after the suicide of a colleague. He was helped by the Force’s Trauma Incident Management. He said: “Attitudes in the police force have changed dramatically especially over the last couple of years. Going back it was a very macho.”