Five-year-old Jayden-Lee Tomlinson-Parsons, from Midsomer Norton, was a guest of Avon and Somerset Police on his fifth birthday and received a specially-designed police officer birthday cake, a police staff baseball cap, and a visit to the Wilfred Fuller VC Centre in Clevedon – home of the force’s dog and mounted unit – before meeting the Chief Constable himself.

Jayden has a rare heart disease called restrictive cardiomyothapy, and is currently awaiting a heart transplant.

When police officers, Adrian (‘Adge’) Secker, Kevin Pope and Baz Johnson saw on social media that it was Jayden’s fifth birthday and that he loved the police, they hatched a surprise birthday present for the youngster – inviting him from Midsomer Norton to become a police officer for the day.

Grandmother, Sandra Cray, tweeted a video of an excited Jayden, who was “just one sleep away” from his special day.

PC Jayden was collected from his home in a police car and taken to the force’s dog and mounted section. There, Jayden saw police horses, dogs and their riders and handlers, and was treated to a training display, including helping to ‘arrest a criminal’ and sitting on a police horse, before being whisked up to police headquarters at Portishead for a special VIP meeting with Chief Constable, Andy Marsh.

Members of his family joined Jayden on his special birthday trip.

Sharing a piece of birthday cake with Jayden, Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: “This has been a wonderful opportunity for us as a force. We are part of the community and delighted to have been able to provide a bit of cheer for Jayden and his family. We’ve all had a lot of enjoyment today, and loved having Jayden here.

“What today has shown is we have brilliant police officers with big hearts. I’d personally like to thank Adge, who made the first contact with Jayden’s family, He has been given lots of support by his colleagues, including Kevin and Baz.”

Jayden was presented with a special birthday cake in the design of a police officer, which was made by Wiltshire police officer, Julie Vince, who previously worked in Bath with PC Adrian Secker. He also received a specially-made set of epaulettes containing his name and date of birth, together with other gifts.

PC Secker said: “I think we managed to create a big day that Jayden and his family won’t forget. He has had some fantastic memories, and I can’t thank my colleagues enough.”

Jayden’s dad, Macaulay Tomlinson, said: “It has been a fantastic day, and one that Jayden will never forget. He loves the police, and is always watching them on TV. He saw officers smashing a door down, helped to release a police dog after a ‘criminal’, sat in a police car and even sat on a police horse. I think he will sleep tonight!”

Jayden’s grandmother, Sandra Cray, added: “It has all been very emotional, but I am so proud of Jayden. He has gone through quite a tough time. It was the most natural thing for Adge to do and I can’t thank him enough.”

The last word comes from Jayden himself, who said: “Arresting people was the best bit – I want to be a policeman!”