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A future police series from the pages of The Hornet.

Artist Farrugia, © D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

The image above shows some of the types of air transport used by the Police Skyway Patrol. Artist Farrugia.

See The Hornet first series issues 286 to 292 (1st March 1969 to 12th April 1969; second series 427 to 438 (13th November 1971 29th January 1972).

Writer:- The Hornet editorial team. Artist:- Harry Farrugia.

Main cast:- Sergeant Frank Martin also known as Sergeant Sixty; Constable Jennings, badge number 97 (second series only).

Time period:- Series set at some point in the 21st Century.

Sergeant Sixty gave readers a glimpse of a possible future of how life, crime and Britain’s police force might have operated in the 21st Century. Although, the type of crime and society reflected the 1960’s, when the story was published. The series did show the police using modern equipment (computers, flying cars and so on), to fight crime. But there was no deviation from telling good, solid stories.

This series is not a Judge Dredd glimpse into the future where the police are judge, jury and executioner. This is still policing twentieth century style. Even in the future crime and criminals flourish. But not all of the cases that Sergeant Sixty and his colleagues deal with involve robbery and murder.

Artist Farrugia, © D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

Further views of the city and transport used by the Police Skyway Patrol. Artist Farrugia.

The first series sees Sergeant Sixty flying around the skies using a back pack with possibly (the series never explained how the packs worked), a medium powered battery, which provided energy to turn small helicopter rotors, above the operator's helmet. The power and rotors provided enough power to lift one normal sized man and in some cases a second, smaller person. They also allowed the operator to perform highly manoeuvrable actions.

In the second series (published over two and a half years later), Sergeant Sixty is flying about the skies in a flying vehicle. Occasionally, he is seen to be useing a jet pack. Farrugia the artist, has done a good job with designing and drawing the futuristic city and equipment.

The following adventures of Sergeant Sixty are from issues 286, 290, 292, 427, 429.

Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist Farrugia. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

© Adrian Banfield, 2010.