Lots of people have been asking Where has Gary gone - has he been kidnapped? The answer is No he has now finished his one month attachment to the Roads Policing Unit and has had a few days off.

Gary is sad to be leaving the Roads Policing Unit but even sadder about how many people have died or been very seriously injured on the roads during the four weeks he has been here. As he finishes his time here the newspapers and television are full of news about the murder of 5 women in Ipswich, Gary agrees this is very sad, very newsworthy and that it is important to catch the killer but wonders why the 8 road deaths in Warwickshire during his short attachment have largely gone unnoticed. It seems as though Road death is simply accepted as a fact of life and something which cannot be changed, unless of course your own family have suffered the loss of a loved one on our roads. Gary like the RPU officers wants to change that attitude. Road deaths are always preventable and with over 3,000 road deaths every year we all need to be working harder to prevent them through our own behaviour and by helping to change the attitudes of other road users too. Gary hopes that by reading his daily blog you have all become safer road users and more aware of the dangers than before.

Over the last four weeks he has helped to teach you how to check that your car is safe to drive before you take it out on the road and how to check your tyres have enough tread. He has...

• reminded you about the Highway Code and the good advice it gives to all road users.
• taught you the importance of wearing a seatbelt, wearing protective clothes on a motorbike and wearing reflective clothing at night.
• taught you the importance of keeping fit, having your eyesight checked regularly and why it is important not to drive when tired.
• given advice about motorway driving, cycle helmets and cycle lights.
• warned you about the dangers of drink driving, dangerous driving and driving too fast for the situation.
• shown you the Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR) and taken you with him when he has carried out enforcement campaigns to rid the roads of uninsured drivers, unlicensed drivers, drink drivers and speeding drivers.
• shown you the work of the collision investigators, the road safety team and how we work with some of our partner agencies like VOSA, Trading Standards, Customs and Excise, the County Council Highways department and road safety charities like BRAKE.

All that work in just one month for one very tiny bear. Gary's new friends on the RPU think he was worked so very hard that they have nominated him for a special award in recognition of his services. Here he is being presented with his certificate of achievement by Superintendent Hollis who is in overall charge of the Roads Policing Unit in Warwickshire.

Gary has his own presentation to make though. Do you remember why he was on this attachment in the first place? That's right, it was to help raise money for The Shakespeare Hospice in Stratford upon Avon. Do you know how far Gary has travelled during his month with the RPU ? Here is Gary handing over a sealed envelope containing the mileage he has covered to Dotty from the Shakespeare hospice.

The hospice are inviting you to guess the total mileage he has travelled and to make a small donation to their charity.

Gary is now going to take a short holiday with Lisa his girlfriend, but, before he goes, he is taking her to the Road Safety Unit's Christmas lunch. The Road Safety Unit are treating Gary and Lisa to a meal as a thank you for all the good work Gary has done. The Inspector says, "The emails, comments and phone calls I've had since this little bear started his attachment have been amazing - he appears to be reaching an important audience of adults, many of whom think he should be with us permanently, either on the RPU or exploring other aspects of Police work and delivering messages otherwise lost or ignored through other channels of communication". Maybe Gary will be back in the New Year we'll have to wait and see.

Lisa is really pleased to be at this party because not only has she not seen Gary for nearly a month but his Green party hat matches his clothes and her red party hat matches her lipstick too! Trinny and Suzannah would certainly approve.

For only a tiny bear Gary has a very big appetite. It must be all that hard work he's done. Look at the size of the pudding he's going to eat! Be careful you don't burst Gary!

At the end of the party Gary and Lisa are getting a lift home because they have learned the dangers of drinking and driving. Gary says "Merry Christmas everyone - be careful on the roads and hopefully you'll be enjoying many more Christmasses to come!"

Merry Christmas to you too Gary and thank you for all your help!