Out with the petal patrol

"A lot of my knowledge of plants comes from the force's training programme," says police officer Ed Borez, pointing to his favourite orchid. "I've never been the gardening type. But since I became a policeman I've developed a real interest in flowers and trees."

Ed, aged 49, is surveying the interior of the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He looks like a typical police officer in his regulation black tunic, trousers, shoes and white shirt with black tie. He is, however, anything but.

The constabulary that Ed belongs to has just 14 PCs and four sergeants. And although it has full police powers, none of its officers has made an arrest since 1962. They are members of the Royal Botanic Gardens Constabulary, founded in 1845, when the burgeoning crowds at the horticultural heaven made a permanent security presence unavoidable. The gardens were opened to the public in 1841, and four years later the number of visitors had swollen from 9,174 to more than 50,000.

Initially there were two separate forces, a small contingent of Metropolitan Police officers complemented by veterans of the Crimean War. Park constables would carry out gardening tasks in the morning before the public was admitted.

The gardens now attract a million people a year. The Met officers are long gone, and although the constables are still required to have some knowledge of plant life, they no longer have to get their hands dirty. The force is independent of the Home Office, and governed by the Royal Parks legislation of 1872. It is ultimately administered by the trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Recruits undergo a two-week intensive training course, during which they are instructed about the garden's regulations, shown how to use a truncheon and taught about the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. And, of course, they are educated about plant life.

The main aim of the constabulary is the preservation of Kew's tranquil atmosphere, by a continuous beat around the 500 acres. Usually the most demanding job is to answer a question on some obscure plant.

"Kew Gardens is a wonderful place to work," Ed enthuses as we stroll through the Rose Garden. "It has beautiful trees, flowers and buildings, and a great tradition. I am in the fresh air every day. I meet different people all the time, and build up a rapport with regular visitors."

Officers need to be gregarious: "If you don't get on with people, then you shouldn't join the force," says Ed sternly. "A large part of the job revolves around public relations.

"Most of the visitors are well behaved. Some, however, have no regard for the regulations or other visitors; there are those who try to pick the plants to take them home. When I approach them, they usually back down and apologise. But a tiny number try to justify what they have done, and occasionally get so argumentative that they have to be escorted from the gardens."

In the summer, when the gardens can attract up to 15,000 visitors a day, Ed's job becomes more taxing. "In the hotter months, we regularly have to administer first aid. Many elderly people collapse from exhaustion, especially those who come on coach trips and don't eat. Some suffer heart attacks. It is not uncommon for us to call three ambulances in a day.

"Early last year," he says, "we were doing a routine patrol when we came across this body in a moat. We cordoned off the area straight away and handed the case over to the Met Police." All serious incidents must be referred to the main force.

"I have a lot of sympathy for the Met officers," he adds. "They have a hard job. They have to deal with all sorts, including those who wouldn't hesitate to use a knife. I must admit, I'm quite happy where I am."

Two hours later, Ed finishes his half-day shift. Early in the afternoon I accompany Sergeant Edwin Leaddley, 55, on his beat. Edwin joined the constabulary in 1988. Before that he was a supervisor with the Met's traffic warden section.

Edwin made the last arrest at the gardens. "I apprehended this chap for obstructing the main gate. In the end he apologisedand said he'd only taken a hostile attitude towards us because he thought we were like traffic wardens and had no powers."

Edwin is proud of being a policeman. He says the public usually treat Kew's officers with the same deference they show to other members of the force. "Generally, we command a lot of respect here. A lot of people, especially the elderly, like to see us at the gardens because we make them feel safe."