Major Rainer Nadler, 59, left Germany in 1994 following the murder of his son in a refugee camp.

After arriving in England, he held various ministries across the country before settling in the town.

The Salvation Army officer now works as a chaplain with Hartlepool Police and goes on weekly patrols with their officers providing help and support.

Berlin-born Major Nadler served with the German police between 1966 and 1982 but left to dedicate more time to the Salvation Army, after his faith became more important.

He trained as a minister and moved around Germany before settling in Hanover to work at a refugee camp.

It was in 1994 that Major Nadler's 17-year-old foster son Andre was killed after being knifed by an Albanian refugee following a party for the refugee children.

The killer was arrested in Holland five years later and sentenced to six years in prison before being deported.

Major Nadler, who lives in Elwick Rise, said: "Andre was at the party helping out and he went over to help this girl who was in some trouble. Before he had chance to intervene he was stabbed.

"The Salvation Army thought it was for the best we moved out of Germany, away from the memories and the area.

"I was very bitter but I had to learn to forgive otherwise I would have lost my peace and couldn't have continued with my work.

"I had to forgive the man who murdered my son and have managed to turn that negative experience into something positive."

Major Nadler married his 49-year-old wife Barbara, who is also a minister with the Hartlepool Salvation Army, in 1991, after the pair met in Germany.

The couple have two children, Patrick, 10, who attends West Park Primary School, and Stephanie, 14, who goes to High Tunstall.

Major Nadler, was previously deployed as a pastor in Scunthorpe, Northern Ireland and Blackburn, before moving to Hartlepool five years ago.

To be a police chaplain you need to be a member of the National Association of Chaplains to the Police and he is one of three chaplains in the Cleveland Police area.

Rainer told how his son's tragic death helped him comfort the relatives of police officers who have died in the line of duty, although he has yet to encounter that grim task in Hartlepool.

Although he doesn't take an active role in operations he does provide spiritual support for officers.

Every Friday night he joins officers on their rounds until the early hours of the morning.

He said: "I have had a positive reaction from the officers I have worked with and I am the independent person they can come and talk to.

"They find it easy to talk to me because they know I am a former police officer. They are doing a very rewarding job but I am always amazed at how often they are verbally abused by people simply for doing their job."

Acting Inspector for Hartlepool Police. Dave Halliday, of Hartlepool Police, said: "Major Nadler supports the police and has an interest in policing from his time in Germany.

"Major Nadler has a wealth of experience that he is happy to share with the officers and he is a popular guy and gives a different perspective on the role that we play."