Police officers and staff across Bath and North East Somerset aren’t sure whether to be sad or glad that charity fundraising colleague Ian ‘Spike’ Audus retired at Christmas.
The officers and staff are sad that such a familiar face has finally gone, but glad that waistlines are no longer under assault from Spike’s relentless baking.
Over the years Spike’s been a familiar face in stations including Bath, Keynsham, Radstock and police headquarters, and beyond, armed with delicious trays and tins of cakes.
His speciality and award-winning bread pudding, raspberry and white chocolate muffins and featherlight sponges – never a soggy bottom – have obviously been hard to resist, because in that time he’s raised more than £11,000 for good causes.
This year alone he’s tempted so many taste buds across the force that he’s collected an amazing £3,250.
Spike, 55, said: “I’d like to thank everyone for their literally stout efforts in supporting my charity causes. I’m well chuffed as they got well stuffed! Everyone has been incredibly generous.”
Spike has retired after a 36-year policing career that ended as Crime Manager at the Incident Assessment Unit at police headquarters.
The charities that have benefited from his baking include Anthony Nolan, Blind Veterans UK, Children’s Hospice South West, Kinergy South Glos, Pets as Therapy, Scope and Wizzybugs of Bath.