A GIRL who went from quietest in her cadet unit to the troop’s leader has been named Swindon’s top police cadet.

And while former New College student Sinead Wheelan missed out winning Wiltshire Police’s Cadet of the Year trophy at the county awards on Tuesday night, she urged anyone thinking of joining the youth scheme to apply.

The 18-year-old, who hopes to become a personal trainer, said: “I love cadets so much. I’ve been doing it for about four years. I have watched myself go from the quietest in the group to the leader.”

The Swindon police cadet, who has been a member of the town’s unit for four years, was one of over a hundred youngsters to be honoured at Tuesday night’s ceremony, held at the Trowbridge Civic Centre.

Sinead has raised hundreds of pounds for homelessness charity Threshold over recent years, taking part in a sponsored sleep-outs.

She was put forward for the award by PCSO Gemma Lishman, who runs the Swindon cadet unit. She described Sinead as a shining example to the cadet force, saying she was sure the youngster would return to Wiltshire Police at some point in the future as an officer or volunteer.

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Chief Constable Kier Pritchard praised all the Wiltshire Police cadets nominated for the awards on Tuesday night.

The top officer said he had been impressed by the skill, quality and calibre of the cadets. “I couldn’t feel prouder for every single one of you and what you do for us and for me.”

Trowbridge claimed the Patron’s Cup for the best police cadet unit. Lady Gooch, a former High Sheriff of Wiltshire and now patron of the county’s police cadets, said she had been impressed by the youngsters’ efforts to create a new garden at Wiltshire Heights, a care home in Bradford-on-Avon.

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Chippenham’s Kimberley Hall claimed the High Sheriff’s Cadet of the Year trophy.

There are roughly 100 Wiltshire Police cadets, ranging in age from 13 to 18.

Widen the net, pleads commissioner

YOUNGSTERS at risk of falling in with the young crowd should be encouraged to sign up as police cadets, Wiltshire’s police and crime commissioner has said.

Angus Macpherson, who handed out prizes at Tuesday’s cadet awards, praised the youth scheme – but said it should take on more children who have “challenges in life”.

The project was set up around four years ago. Now, there are four units across the county, with over a hundred cadets aged from 13 to 18.

Mr Macpherson said: “We must encourage them in the next intake to take more people who have got challenges in life.

“I want to see a larger percentage of people who are moving away from the norms of society.”

Asked what he meant, the police commissioner clarified: “People who are starting to engage in anti-social behaviour. People who are just starting to lose their way.”

The police cadet scheme could offer them a chance to follow more positive role models, he added. Wiltshire Police already runs an early intervention scheme working with those at risk of falling into a life of crime.

Mr Macpherson praised the cadets: “It’s not just the contribution they make to the force, but the contribution they make to policing."