Meet the Sunderland cop appearing on our TV screens

For Det Sgt Andy, from aggravated burglaries to fraud cases, knife-point robberies to serious assaults, no one day is the same.

In the first episode, Det Sgt Richardson led the investigation after a 70-year-old man was robbed at knife-point by masked attackers in his home, a job which struck a chord with the Black Cats fan. He said: “Throughout the investigation, Michael was our motivation to catch the people responsible.

“I looked at him and thought, ‘he could’ve been my dad, and those men could’ve targeted my home’.

“I love the North East of England. I grew up here, it’s where I went to school and where my kids will go to school. That really brings it home when I’m investigating a serious crime – it could have been my mother, my sister, my family that this happened to.

Andy claims the cops behind the badge are good, honest, hard-working people.

“It’s in my own interest to make sure this region continues to be a safe place, and when you are faced with violent criminals, there’s a determination to make sure they are brought to justice so they can’t harm anyone else.

He followed in the footsteps of his dad when joining the police at age 19 in 1998.

Det Sgt Richardson, now father-of-two, said: “I didn’t always think I’d become a police officer.

“Growing up, I was never quite sure what I wanted to do.

“But when I sat down and considered what I liked doing, being outdoors and not being stuck at a desk, it seemed a natural fit.

“I also grew up listening to the stories of my old man. He was a police inspector in Northumbria Police when I joined and spent more than 40 years in policing. He was a great man, my dad – and it’s funny that I’ve mirrored his career and go to work each day looking to achieve exactly the same goal.”

The second episode of ‘Our Cops in the North’ will be aired next Wednesday (July 24) at 9pm on BBC One, click here to watch a preview of the show.