It is a far cry from the 1990s scene he enjoyed alongside bandmate Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, when their debut single Dub Be Good To Me topped the British charts.

The 1990 hit was a club classic and still reverberates around dancefloors.

Speaking to The Argus in 2008, PC Boucher, now 46, said: “I did the route of going to music college, then working in a music shop, then becoming a session musician.

“I met Norman when we were recording in the same studio.

It was when he had finished The Housemartins and was about to start Beats International.

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“I joined the police in 1994. I was 27, married and had to make a decision, whether to persevere in the music industry or get a grownup job.

“Being a police officer was always in the back of my mind but I didn’t expect to get in given my musical past.

“I have never heard Dub Be Good To Me on the job but I found the record when I searched a house.

“That was odd and it was like two worlds colliding.

“The other weird moment was once when I was working on NewYear’s Eve and I turned on the TV and saw Norman DJing in Rio.”

The former keyboard player added: “It feels like a long time ago, almost like it was someone else.

“Believe it or not I haven’t got any of the music that we made.

“I’m proud of both my careers and the few years I was with Norman were among the happiest. I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“He’s been a good friend over the years.”

Norman said: “We were quite shocked when he announced it. Not many musicians become policemen. We’re still mates.

“I don’t think I’ve seen him on the beat but we still hang out.”

The group enjoyed another hit, Burundi Blues, and Won’t Talk About It reached number nine in the British charts.

More success followed when their album Let Them Eat Bingo debuted in the top 20 of the British charts.

PC Boucher and Norman Cook lined up alongside vocalist Lindy Layton, who has more recently sung with Dub Pistols and Luke Cresswell, who formed the successful percussion band Stomp.

Of the other former band members Lester Noel nowlives and makes music in Yorkshire, David John-Baptiste works in IT and rapper MC Wildski is believed to be working in the music industry.

ON THIS DAY

490BC: The Greeks defeated the Persians under Darius at the Battle of Marathon. Philippides had run 150
miles in two days in a futile attempt to ask the Spartans to assist the Greek army, but in the end their help
was not required.

1501: Michelangelo begins work on his statue of David.

1906: First flight of a fixed-wing aircraft in Europe.

1989: Largest anti-Apartheid march in South Africa led by Desmond Tutu.

1994: Ulysses probe passes the Sun’s south pole.

2008: Delhi in India is hit by a series of bomb blasts, killing 30 deaths and injuring 130.

The Argus’ popular “Looking Back” feature has been compiled into an A4, soft back book which catalogues the events that have made their mark on the people of Sussex. The fascinating archive of “Looking Back” images dates back to the 1930s when The Argus first started to print photographs. The book costs £6.99 including postage and packing. To order please visit theargus.co.uk/store