THE Devon & Cornwall Constabulary sent a squad of eight rowers to the Police National Rowing Championships at Dumfries in Scotland, where the 500 metre course was marked off into two lanes and conditions were perfect for rowing.

In the Men's Open coxed fours the Devon & Cornwall crew made up of Dart Totnes members Ben Larkham, Gary Cairns, Shaun Barker and cox, Suzanne Hutchings, together with Steve Watts, beat the Metropolitan Police in their heat by four lengths and then went on to beat Strathclyde by a foot in an extremely close semi-final.

The Metropolitan Police crew qualified for the final through a repechage heat but the Devon & Cornwall crew again proved to be too strong for them running out six length winners.

Beverly Harvey of Holsworthy and cox, Suzanne Hutchings, joined up with the Metropolitan Police to form a composite Ladies Novice coxed four. They dead-heated their final with the Police Service of Northern Ireland but when the race was re-rowed the Devon & Cornwall/Met Police crew were two length winners.

Suzanne Hutchings also won the Ladies Open single sculls. In a nail biting race Hutchings trailed by a canvass with 50 metres to go but pulled through the PSNI sculler to win by three feet.

Shaun Barker said, "Next year's championships will be held at Totnes after all the forces who attended down here in 2009 enjoyed the venue so much they have requested we do it again!"