AN insight a 19th Century Blackburn policeman's lot has been given by the notebook of constable Charles Whitehead.

PC 23 was born in Malton Yorkshire and in 1856 joined the borough force and set up home with his wife Mary and two sons in Gibraltar Street.

He left the police as a Sargeant having been injured during an arrest in 1887 with a pension of 32 shillings a week for life.

Two of his notebooks are now on the Cotton Town website.

They include not just details of his daily work but also traditional remedies for such things as 'eradicating cockroaches', 'getting rid of scurf in the head' and how to make 'indelible marking ink'.

Much of his time was spent dealing with drunks, arresting players of 'tossing' (a gambling game similar to horseshoes) and the illegal sale of alcohol.

More unusual entries include:

* John Beaumont, a cab driver at the White Bull Inn, Church Street, furiously driving two horses and one Shillabere to the imminent danger of the public;

* Owen McDonal, a flagger and slater attempted to shoot Nicholas Taylor with a revolver;

* Orange Men and Conservatives walked in procession after the new Baths and Fire Engine Station had been opened. Then several rows took place between the Radicals, the Irish and the Tory’s;

* PC John Howarth reported for being absent from his beat between 12.30 a.m. and 4.45 a.m. He was found at 5am at home drunk in bed.

* William Yates, Gentleman of Sumner Street and Richard Cook, a butcher from Brookhouse, reported for riotously assembling with diverse other persons to disturb the public peace on the nomination day of the election; and

* Samuel Windsor beer seller and brothel keeper, of Fisherman Home, Blakey Moor, harbouring notorious bad characters in his house.