A RESPECTED former Metropolitan Police sergeant died suddenly while on a recent skiing holiday.

Ian Dodds (58), known locally as a long-term member of Tynedale Rugby Club as a player and more latterly as manager of their second team, died while enjoying a break in Chatel, in France, with his wife Jayne and close friends.

He was also well-known in the area as a cricketer with Tynedale Cricket Club.

Work-wise, Ian had a long, distinguished career within the police.

The only son of Northumbria Police officers Bill and Heather, who was the force’s first woman police constable to return to work after maternity leave, he moved to the Tyne Valley when his parents’ work took them to the district.

Ian attended Corchester school, in Corbridge, and then the Cathedral School, in Newcastle, before moving on to the sixth form at Haydon Bridge High School.

It was while there he began playing rugby for Tynedale Colts, and he then moved on to the first team after three years of travelling the world as a deck officer in the Merchant Navy.

Such was his pedigree on the pitch, he was selected on several occasions to represent the county and to try out for the England U21 squad.

But work again took him away from the area when he and his wife Jayne both started at the Police Training College, in Hendon, in 1985. With postings in Tottenham during the time of the riots, policing in London was a challenging environment for them.

After three years of service, they both were promoted to sergeant, and Ian was ranked in the top 20 of over 1,100 candidates sitting their exams. He maintained his position as a popular uniformed sergeant in King’s Cross until 1997.

After his retirement, he took up work as a counsellor for Relate before the couple returned back to Tynedale when they moved to Bardon Mill in 1999.

Ian was eager to return to Tynedale Rugby Club to give something back to the sport he gained so much from, coaching the club’s Hoppers team before co-managing the senior second team, the Raiders, alongside Rob Sedgewick until his death.

Ian took up skiing in 2005 and usually went twice a year, while he had recently taken up sailing and had taken his Royal Yachting Club qualifications as a day skipper.

President of Tynedale Rugby Club, Mike Fieldhouse, said “On a personal level, I have been good friends with Ian for more than 35 years. His death is another example of a son of Tynedale being taken far too young.

“He was a very popular guy throughout the club and will really be missed by all. In addition to playing for the club with distinction both in the youth and first team, he will be more recently be remembered for his hard work in organising and encouraging players to represent the Raiders and the Centurions.

“Many individual players will be feeling his loss personally.”

A celebration of his life will take place at St Andrew’s Church, in Corbridge, at 1.30pm, on Thursday next week, which will be continued at Tynedale Park. A short tribute to Ian will be held after Tynedale’s home game with South Leicester on Saturday.