A FYLDE police sergeant narrowly escaped with his life this week after dodging a hail of bullets in the chaos of East Timor.

Sgt. Tony Parker, 42, was one of six British officers guarding United Nations officials on the massacre-hit island who were finally airlifted to safety in Australia after being pinned to the floor of a UN compound under heavy gunfire for two hours.

His first action on getting through passport control in Darwin on Tuesday (September 7) was to phone his desperately-worried girlfriend, Fleetwood-based policewoman Ciara Campbell.

"It was an immense relief to hear he was safe," PC Campbell told the Citizen.

"The day after the election results came out he rang me by satellite phone to say the phone-lines were going down and he didn't know when he'd be able to speak to me again, but not to worry, he was still OK.

"Then on Tuesday morning the Home Office rang at 7am to say the town he was in, Baucau, had gone berserk. They feared a massacre and the UN officers would have to be evacuated.

"Then at 8.30am on TV I saw the violence that was going on and I was out of my mind with worry. When he finally rang me at 10.50am from passport control the relief was overwhelming.

"He said on at least two occasions he thought he was never going to be able to speak to me again. He was very relieved to get out, but very upset as well to have to leave the people to the hands of the militia. At least he and his colleagues were safe."

PC Campbell, who shares a home with divorced Sgt Parker near Fleetwood, said she had spoken immediately afterwards to his 10-year-old daughter, Holly. "She's really excited to see him again - she can't wait."

The UK contingent is expected to fly home as soon as possible.

Sgt Parker, flew out to East Timor in June as one of six UK officers who volunteered for an International Police Task Force to guard United Nations officials during the elections which sparked the outbreak of violence.

Before this assignment, he was stationed in Kirkham, having served in Fleetwood, Poulton, Blackpool and at HQ in Preston during his 24-year police career.

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