Penny Lancaster: I'm a fully qualified police officer ready to patrol the streets

Penny Lancaster has revealed she is now a fully qualified police officer and ready to patrol the streets of London, fighting crime.

The wife of rock star Sir Rod Stewart completed the course to become a Special Constable volunteer police officer and has been issued with her warrant card and police badge.

Lancaster told Loose Women: "I was lucky enough to go out twice yesterday lunch with my girlfriends and then another celebration with my husband, family and friends.

Watch: Rod Stewart buys wife a boat for her birthday

"One to celebrate coming out of lockdown and I was also celebrating my passing out. I finally got my warrant card and a City of London police badge!"

Read more: Penny Lancaster: Bullies beat me until I bled

The 50-year-old model was inspired to sign up to the Special police force after taking part in Channel 4 reality show Famous And Fighting Crime in 2019 and experiencing what it is like to be a volunteer with the Cambridgeshire Police.

Lancaster added: "When I say I'm going to do something, I'm normally 100% in it, especially with lockdown training and doing lessons over Zoom.

"But I was able to finish the course. In fact I have a few more lessons to go, but my cohort and me, and the specials will be out there [patrolling the street]."

The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant – who is mother to sons Alastair, 15, and Aiden, 10, with Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? singer Stewart – said last year that in policing she felt she had finally found her calling.

She said: "I did a show called Famous And Fighting Crime where I was involved with the police.

“It was terrifying, terrifying, but I never felt more comfortable in a position and I felt like this was where I was supposed to be.

“I have actually signed up to be an officer.

“I had to sit exams, English and maths type of exams, and go for an interview with two officers. And then I did a fitness test, so I had to get fit for that, it was the bleep test which was pretty tricky and I passed.

“Then I had to do this massive vetting form going through all personal details of myself, my family, people I know and all that kind of thing."

Read more: Rod Stewart joked he had 'lost' Penny Lancaster when she competed on Strictly

And while the police has faced much criticism amid the national lockdown and following the arrests at the vigil for murder victim Sarah Everard last month, Lancaster has sympathy for the strain on law enforcement officers during the coronavirus pandemic.

She said: "I feel sorry for the police right now because they really, really have their work cut out for them trying to create social distancing while trying to arrest someone."

Watch: Sir Rod Stewart created famous hairstyle using mayonnaise