Farewell to the Squire of Whitehawk

The funeral of former Whitehawk community policeman Dudley Button – known as the Squire of Whitehawk – is due to take place this morning (Tuesday 25 July).

A hearse is to leave from Findon Road to take the Squire out on a final patrol of his manor before his funeral at St Bartholomew’s Church, in Ann Street, Brighton, at 11am. In his youth, Mr Button was a server at the church.

His family said that it would go via Whitehawk Road and Whitehawk Way, past the Valley Social Club which he helped to build, and leave the estate via Swanborough Drive to Wilson Avenue.

Dudley Brian Button died peacefully after a short illness at the age of 84 on Thursday 22 June.

His family said that he was “a loving husband, dad, grandad and great grandad”, adding: “He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

His father, Alderman William Button, served as the mayor of Brighton from 1962-63 and represented St Peter’s ward on Brighton Borough Council.

Dudley Button started out as a “snowdrop” – a Royal Air Force policeman – and in 1966 he joined the old Brighton Borough Police which amalgamated with other local forces to become Sussex Police in 1968.

He served as a community bobby in Whitehawk for many years and later worked in child protection – a combination that would be called on towards the end of his police career.

In February 1990, a seven-year-old girl was abducted as she was played in the street in Whitehawk.

A police incident room was set up in a caravan on the estate, with Mr Button back in his old manor, on duty for 12 hours a day to help gather evidence.

The main suspect was quickly identified as Russell Bishop who, just over two years earlier, had been acquitted of murdering two nine-year-old girls in Wild Park, Brighton.

Thanks to a thorough police investigation, a jury convicted Bishop of abducting, sexually assaulting and trying to murder seven-year-old Rachael Watts.

But it would take more than 30 years to bring Bishop to justice for killing Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway – known as the Babes in the Wood.

When Mr Button retired from the police in 1994, he became the premises manager at Whitehawk Junior School and a governor of Whitehawk Infant School.

He was also a founder member of the Friends of Whitehawk and later president of the Brighton branch of the Royal British Legion.

At well over 6ft tall, he was a towering figure – and a familiar sight at remembrance services to commemorate the Battle of Britain and the Armistice.

For many years he was among those laying a wreath to remember the sacrifice of servicemen from United India at the annual Chattri memorial service on the Downs just north of Brighton.

His son Michael remembered his father often saying: “Service before self.”

A wake for Mr Button, a father of six, will be held at Downs Junior School, Brighton, where Michael Button is the premises manager.