Phil Russell asked Joy Ellis:

I'm reading the Nikki Galena series, which I really like a lot - but I was wondering why uniformed female constables are always referred to as WPCs in the books, when the W was dropped by all UK forces in 1999? As the stories are set in contemporary UK, even if in an invented constabulary, it jars a bit when details like that are out of kilter with the real world.

Joy Ellis Hi Phil, thanks for your comment.. it's probably just having lived with a retired officer who still refers to herself as a WPC for so long, that it's an old habit. When it first changed, we decided not to alter it in the books simply to guide the reader into differentiating from women and men when sometimes their names or nicknames could be either male or female. I recall one woman was called Bert, real name although never used, Roberta. In the later books however I do use PC for all. The character, Yvonne Collins thought of herself as a WPC until she retired, just like my real life partner! Anyway, it's back to the here and now, and it's PC all the way in future! Take care, Joy

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