Memorial for seven UK police killed on the job
Prayers are said for seven officers killed in the line of duty in 2012 at a service in Greater Manchester for National Police Memorial Day.
Today’s York Minster service included special dedications for PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone, after they died in a grenade and gun attack this month. An estimated 2,000 were expected to be in attendance including the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Peter Fahy, and relatives of the officers.
“This annual memorial was long overdue when we set it up,” said Sgt Joe Holness of Kent Police founded the event. “It is only right and proper that when someone gives their life in this way, we recognise them.”
More than 4,000 officers in all have lost their lives in the last 180 years of modern policing. The earliest death recorded on a police roll of honour was an unnamed constable killed in a brawl in 1680.
Blinded in the line of duty
In 2012, seven have died – among them Essex Police Officer Ian Dibell who was shot dead in July and PC David Rathband, who was shot in the face and blinded by fugitive Raoul Moat and died later.
Det Con Andrew Stokes, 46, of Greater Manchester Police died of a heart attack while on duty. Det Con Karen Paterson, 43, was killed in a road accident as she travelled to work in Peterborough. Insp Preston Gurr, 53, of the Metropolitan force, was killed while on his way home from a shift on his motorcycle. PC Ian Dibell is among those being remembered
St Paul’s Cathedral hosted the first National Police Memorial Day in 2004. Today’s service was led by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu. Home Secretary Theresa May was among those reading prayers.