Francesca Gavin was one of 23 officers who graduated in a ceremony in Abingdon on Friday (31/7) to become AFOs on one of the 11 nuclear sites policed by the CNC across the UK.

Aged only 19, Francesca is the youngest person to qualify as an AFO after applying to join the Constabulary once she had finished her schooling at the age of 18.

As well as passing all the relevant training to allow her to graduate, Francesca was also presented with the Excellence Award for her class. This award is given to the student who is considered to have performed consistently well in disciplines including personal safety training, firearms, emergency first aid and physical fitness; showed the most development; and displayed the most positive attitude.

The 23 new constables will be posted to nuclear sites across the UK, after completing an intensive training course to allow them to graduate as fully qualified Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs). The course includes personal safety training; tactical and range firearms skills; radiological awareness; and law sections.

Francesca will take up her role at Sellafield in Cumbria next week. She said: “I have always been interested in policing and completed an extended diploma in forensics, while working part-time. After I had finished my education, I began looking into roles in the police service.

“As a lot of Home Office forces weren’t recruiting, I started looking into other roles before coming across the CNC who were looking for people to train as Authorised Firearms Officers. The thought of being part of a national police force responsible for the armed protection of nuclear sites was really exciting so I applied.

“I was so pleased when I was accepted onto the course and, after an incredibly intensive training course, I am really looking forward to getting to my unit and staring my policing career.”

Chief Constable Mike Griffiths, who led the ceremony on Friday, said: “Joining the CNC and graduating to become an Authorised Firearms Officer is not easy and its very impressive that Francesca passed this mentally and physically demanding training to qualify at such a young age.

“I was delighted to meet her and the other 22 graduates before they go their separate ways to their units and I wish them all well in their CNC careers.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/youngest-firearms-officer-in-the-uk-graduates-with-excellence