Ed Rowland is proud to be fighting crime – and prejudice – as a real-life RoboCop.
The custody sergeant had to be fitted with a stoma bag in an ileostomy operation so that he could beat a deadly bowel condition.
But he did not want to give up his job with Devon and Cornwall Police – so he searched the web and found a firm selling titanium armour developed for US military veterans fitted with stoma bags.
Now back on the front line, he reckons he is following in the footsteps of the 1988 film character.
Ed, 36, said: “When I’m wearing my armour it makes me feel a bit like RoboCop.
"I must be the only titanium-armoured police officer in Devon, possibly even the country. Like the film said; I’m part man, part machine, all cop.”
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Ed, who has wife Kate and daughter Maggie, developed ulcerative colitis – a form of inflammatory bowel disease – in 2006.
He became dependant on steroids and immune suppressant drugs and spent a decade coping with his illness while working – trying to hide his medication and urgent trips to the toilet.
The ileostomy he had is similar to a colostomy but with the last part of the small intestine brought through the abdominal wall, rather than the colon.
After his op, he was amazed how few of his colleagues understood what it was.
He now highlights his condition through his Twitter feed, @ColitisCop, and shares amusing stories about his struggles.
Ed said: “I was on a police cordon once and I had to quickly evacuate my bowels in an adjoining field.
“Then the cordon got extended and the scenes of crime team ended up swabbing my blood. I had to make an embarrassing statement as to why my blood was found at the scene of the crime. I’m quite lucky I can laugh about it now and my colleagues have quite a dark sense of humour anyway.
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“But ulcerative colitis can have a detrimental effect on your mental health, even if you always do put a brave face on things.”
After his operation he approached bosses, with the support of the National Disabled Police Association, and asked if he could carry on working using the US armour he had found.
He said: “I went back on duty three months after the operation.
“I’m still dealing face-to-face with members of the public but we generally end up with more confrontational types of people coming into custody.”
Ed, based in Torquay, was praised by Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer at a conference last month.
He said: “I am extremely proud we’re able to support officers like Ed to continue working in such a vital role.”
