Amputee special constable back to policing in Redditch

Ben Perry said starting work at Redditch Police Station was a "massive boost"

A special constable who lost part of his leg when he was hit by a car has returned to policing.

Ben Perry, who had to learn to walk again using a prosthetic following the crash, will be working with the team at Redditch Police Station.

Initially maintaining police vehicles, he hopes to return to front-line operations by the end of the year.

He said being able to return to policing was a "massive boost".

Mr Perry had been returning home from a work event in March 2018 when he stopped to assist the driver of a car that had aquaplaned and hit the central reservation.

He was struck by another vehicle and spent 23 weeks in hospital, while the driver was later convicted of driving without due care and attention and driving with defective tyres.

Mr Perry said he spent "a very long 23 weeks" in hospital

Throughout his recovery, he has regularly shared updates on social media with his 10,000 followers.

Mr Perry, who works as a traffic signal installation technician, said his volunteer special constable role had been a "dream come true" and it had been "heartbreaking" to be unable to do it.

On Saturday he visited Redditch Police Station for the first time. His role there will involve ensuring vehicles are prepared and stocked ready for patrol.

"It felt amazing to be in a policing environment again," he said.

"They were all very welcoming and I'm looking forward to working alongside them."

Mr Perry is awaiting a new prosthetic to enable him to become an operational special constable again

He is currently trialling three new prosthetics, one of which he hopes will give him the mobility necessary to pass the fitness tests allowing him to return to the front line.

"I'm hoping [I will have it] in the next couple of months, so my goal is to be a front-line special again by Christmas," he said.

In a post on Twitter, Insp Lee Page said he was "delighted to welcome Ben" to the team.