John Woodhouse is 68 years old, retired, living near Brentwood in Essex with his wife Sue who together brought up three sons, all now married. He completed 31 years as a Police officer over 20 years of which at New Scotland Yard, at the rank of Detective Sgt. His certificate of completion of service is signed by the then Commissioner and specifies conduct as 'Exemplary', he is a Freeman of the City of London, and the rest is in the book.