A KEIGHLEY officer is among inspirational women working on the frontline of policing who star in a new six-part TV documentary series.

Police Constable Laura Gargett – who has ten years’ experience in the force – is part of a uniformed response team, based at Keighley Police Station, dealing with 999 calls.

In the programme – The Shift: Women on the Force – she is seen dealing with incidents such as street disturbances, and takes a new recruit under her wing.

But the 48-year-old mum-of-two also speaks about the breakdown of her marriage, which she blames partly on her commitment to the job.

She said: “Working on the force has a massive impact on your personal life.

“You’re always a police officer as you have to deal with anything you come across outside of work too.

“You have to be selective about your friends because they may end up involved in active criminal investigations or put up racist posts.

“It could even be a family member, but you’ll always have to challenge it and distance yourself from them, as you can’t support or condone that.”

Asked whether working on the force takes its toll, PC Gargett said: “You’ve very much got to distance yourself emotionally.

“People scream in your face, telling you that you’re a useless waste of skin. They say they hope you and your children die of cancer and just the worst things imaginable.

“They want you to react but you can’t take it personally. They don’t hate you as an individual, it’s what you represent, law and order.”

Other officers featured include Police Constable Gemma Sharman.

The 31-year-old speaks openly about her experience of PTSD after attending a suicide incident, while on the Neighbourhood Policing Team.

She said: “The suicide wasn’t the first one I’ve been to but something about it stuck with me.

“I was stubborn and carried on working for about three months but I didn’t feel myself at all.

“My sergeant was brilliant. She practically marched me to the doctors to get checked up and once I was diagnosed with PTSD, she arranged for me to see counsellors and psychologists.

“I try to be open about it now to show other people that it’s OK to talk. You don’t have to deal with it yourself.

“It’s not a sign of weakness to speak to your team, your family and your friends.”

PC Sharman returned to West Yorkshire Police in January and now works on the response team.

She said she enjoyed her new role.

“You can have all the best-laid plans in the world but you could get any kind of 999 call,” she added.

“It’s weird, wonderful and horrific all at the same time. I used to get called ‘magpie' by my bosses because I ran myself into the ground but I’m much more steady now. I’ve just learned to deal with one job at a time.”

The Shift: Women on the Force is screened on Fridays at 10pm on the W channel.