Harold Hill PCSO Alanna Yeomans retires after 18 years

Alanna Yeomans, 62, hung up her officer’s boots on March 8 following a distinguished career in which she met celebrities, was nominated for several awards and attended a visit to the borough by the late Queen, among other highlights. 

Initially trained in accounting, Alanna said she was working at Woolworths in Harold Hill when her daughter applied for and was accepted as a PCSO. 

Having always wanted to be a police officer, but at 5ft 2in being smaller than the now scrapped 5ft 4in minimum required, Alanna said following her daughter’s success: “I thought to myself, I could do that, so I applied.” 

Alanna described her role with the Gooshays ward team as being “the eyes and ears between the police force and the community”, which involved her working a range of incidents and events over the years. 

Alanna with Lord Blair, a former Met Police Commissioner (Image: Steve Yeomans)

From attending nursery groups to the Harold Hill Christmas lights, which was always “a lovely event to do”, Alanna remained embedded within the community she had grown up in throughout her career. 

During her time, she was recognised on several occasions for her work. 

These included being nominated for PCSO of the year in 2007, and she took part in events such as the Horse Guards Parade in 2019, celebrating 100 years of women in the police service, where she met then Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick. 

This is despite Alanna only intending on working in the role for five years, until her husband, Steve, a police officer at the time, retired. 

However, she told the Recorder: “I just carried on going. I always said, while I’m having fun, I shall carry on going.” 

Following her final shift, a surprise event was hosted by members of the community, including her husband, Steve, and former councillor Jan Sargent, celebrating Alanna’s tenure. 

Alanna (centre) at her surprise event, thrown following her retirement on March 8 (Image: Steve Yeomans)

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On how she feels now that her time as a PCSO has come to an end, she said: “Very emotional. I completely didn’t anticipate it being such an emotional moment. But one door closes, and another door opens.” 

Asked what she has planned next, Alanna said she intends on making her way through a “huge pile of books”, spending time with family, and travelling. 

“There’s time to be made up. There are things that I should have done and haven’t, that I want to do.”