PRINCE Charles hailed the \u201cexceptional bravery\u201d of officers as he joined the congregation in Northern Ireland for the eleventh National Police Memorial Day.<\/p>\n
The event\u2019s patron, the Prince joined around 2,000 police officers of all ranks, politicians and families of fallen officers at the annual service, this year held on Sunday (28 September) at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.<\/p>\n
Eight police officers and one member of police staff who have died on duty in the last 12 months had their names read out during the 65 minute service.<\/p>\n
Prince Charles said: \u201cThe British Police Service is a noble profession, respected and admired throughout the world. The courageous men and women who proudly form its ranks are a shining example of the best of public service.<\/p>\n
\u201cDay after day, they place our safety above that of their own in order that we may live in peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish to honour the exceptional bravery of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty and to assure those left behind, who must carry the heavy and heart-breaking burden of their loss, that they are remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police officers remembered this year were PCs Shazahan Wadud and Andrew Duncan, of the Metropolitan Police, PCs Tony Collins and Kirsty Nelis and Captain David Traill, all of Police Scotland, DC Adrian Grew, of Kent Police, PC Michael Chapman, of West Midlands Police, PC Mark Murtagh, of Police Scotland, and DC Sharon Garrett, of Cambridgeshire Constabulary.<\/p>\n
Home Secretary Theresa May, who attended and gave a reading, said: \u201cPolice officers go to work every day knowing that they could find themselves in danger, and sometimes they risk their very lives as they protect the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe owe a debt of gratitude to officers across the country who show bravery as a matter of course and in many cases while they are off duty.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am honoured to take part in National Memorial Day and to commemorate the police officers who have fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Piper\u2019s Lament was played as a wreath was laid to remember the police officers who lost their lives in the First World War \u2013 which began 100 years ago.<\/p>\n
During the service, candles were lit by relatives of fallen officers in remembrance of those who have lost their lives.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s candles were lit by Janice Taylor, RUC GC Widows chair; Catherine McVicar, Daughter of PC Joseph Stewart Drake, Stirling and Clackmannan Constabulary; Heather Allbrook, Sister of PC Yvonne Fletcher, Metropolitan Police; and Lowri Davies, Daughter of PC Terence John Davies, Gwent Police.<\/p>\n
There was silence as petals of remembrance, representing all who have lost their lives, descended from the gallery as the orchestra played \u2018Abide with me\u2019 and the Last Post was sounded.<\/p>\n
National Police Memorial Day was founded in 2004 by Kent Police Sgt Joe Holness.<\/p>\n
Sgt Holness said around 4,000 police officers had given their lives in the line of duty since modern policing records began in 1792.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are between 10 and 15 fallen officers every year,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is not too much to ask for one day a year to be set aside to remember their commitment to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were honoured that Prince Charles could attend.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PRINCE Charles hailed the \u201cexceptional bravery\u201d of officers as he joined the congregation in Northern Ireland for the eleventh National Police Memorial Day. The event\u2019s patron, the Prince joined around\u2026 read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=163"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":198,"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163\/revisions\/198"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lancsfedfocus.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}