The 68-year-old worked in the newly-formed Zimbabwe in the 1980s and was awarded a Commissioner's Commendation for Dedication to Duty for his part in negotiating with – and bringing in peacefully – hundreds of dissident terrorists.

A former Labour Party member, he left the party in 2003 in protest at the decision to downgrade cannabis and became an independent councillor.
He runs his own website and blog, www.arnoldwoolley.com, on which he has posted biographical details.

Born in London in 1939, he was accepted into the British Colonial Police Force in 1961 where he was posted to Nyasaland in Central Africa.

In 1964 he moved to the Rhodesian police force – the BSAPolice.

Subsequent service involvements included two years of specialist counter-insurgency work.

He became leader of the police anti-terrorist units and a SWAT team, and was eventually promoted to superintendent in 1980 – the year that brought majority and one-party political rule to the newly-formed Zimbabwe.

He and his family returned to the UK in 1984 after warnings over their safety due to threats being made by the Zimbabwe National Army.

He moved to Buckley in 1988, running his own security business from 1995 to 2004.

He was elected as a Labour Party town councillor in 1995 and was elected mayor of Buckley in 2002-2003.

After leaving the Labour Party he retired in 2004 – only to change his mind and stand for Flintshire Council as an independent representing Buckley Bistre East.

He was elected in 2004, and re-elected in this year's elections on May 1.