Award-winning New Addington beat bobby Paul Beard will be celebrating a commendation of a different kind this week when his play is brought to life at the Croydon Clocktower.

PC Beard, who was crowned Metropolitan Police Constable of the year last September, will watch his play Strangeways performed at the Katharine Street venue after winning the second Guardian-sponsored Croydon playwriting contest.

The winning production will be performed by fringe theatre company Exit Stage Left tonight (July 19) and tomorrow night from 7.30pm.

With Strangeways as his 16th published play, PC Beard admits he leads somewhat of a double life as a policeman and a playwright.

He said: “I wrote my first play eight years ago. It started as a hobby and grew from there.

“I don't have a particular genre. I've more or less done a bit of everything, including comedy, drama and musicals.

“I was surprised at winning the award but it made me feel really good. It is the first one I have had performed in my own town.

“Not a lot of my colleagues know about my life as a playwright. I like to keep the two aspects of my life separate.”

PC Beard, who lives in Forestdale with his wife and three children, was voted constable of the year last year by the people of New Addington, where he was a community beat officer.

He was highly commended for his work with youths on the estate, getting them off the streets and into activity groups.

PC Beard is currently on sick leave but plans to return to his post this year.

He added: “Winning the constable of the year award was brilliant because it was voted for by the general public and their support meant a great deal to me.

“I will be returning to New Addington soon to resume my work as a community beat officer.

“You never know, police tend to retire early so maybe I could take up playwriting full time after I retire.”

PC Beard has a new production in the pipelines, a musical based on the board game Monopoly called Advance to Go.

He is currently seeking sponsorship to take the production to the stage at the Fairfield Halls sometime next year.

Tickets to Strangeways, which are £5 and £3.50 concessions, are available from the box office on 020 8253 1030.