In recent years many British police officers have been recruited to New Zealand’s police forces.

Yesterday the UK’s Telegraph newspaper ran the story “Why 1,000 British bobbies rushed to sign up for 100 jobs in New Zealand.”

Senior Sgt Woods, 43, with 18 years’ experience in UK police forces, moved to New Zealand in 2003.

Sgt Woods said:

“It was getting to the stage in the UK when you were sent to an incident and the chances were that you’d find some raging idiot who was going to knock your block off as soon as you got out of the car. You don’t find that here. Society as a whole is not as violent, it’s a little bit gentler. Even the people I arrest are more compliant.”

According to the Telegraph, 2,700 British officers have now expressed an interest in joining New Zealand forces. Last year an email to those who had expressed an interest yielded over 1,000 replies – 10 for every job on offer. The 100 successful candidates will start in New Zealand in April this year.

Sgt Woods traded in a three-bedroom semi in Kent for a five-bedroom bungalow in an acre of land. His wife Tina now runs a training business.

Sen Sgt Woods said: “A lot of people come for the lifestyle. There are parts of the UK where you might go out for a drink with your wife on a Saturday night and think, ‘I’m not too comfortable here’. I have not experienced that in New Zealand. There isn’t anywhere I don’t feel safe.”