A special ceremony to unveil the United Kingdom’s recently reprinted Police Roll of Honour has taken place at the National Police Memorial in London.
The expanded Roll, which was researched, compiled and is maintained by The Police Roll of Honour Trust charity, contains the names and a personalised citations of almost 5,000 police officers who have lost their lives in the service of the British people.
The updated version of the Roll was signed by HRH Prince Charles when he attended the National Police Memorial Day.
Our Chair, Mrs Geraldine Winner said:
“I accept the new Police Roll of Honour which has been entrusted to our safe keeping by our sister charity, The Police Roll of Honour Trust”.
“There is no more fitting location in the United Kingdom in which to display the new Roll than here, in the nation’s newly refurbished National Police Memorial”.
She added:
“I know my late husband Michael would be proud that this is happening here today. It sees the continuation of his dream, that of honouring fallen British police officers”.
She ended by saying:
“We are pleased to announce the next phase of our extensive refurbishment works whereby we will be working with the Police Roll of Honour Trust to create a new state of the art interactive digital system which visitors to the National Police Memorial will be able to access to see details of fallen officers”.
The Police Federation of England and Wales National Chair John Apter, who read the police oath during the ceremony, said:
“It was an honour to have been able to take part in such a special event and to be asked to read the attestation that every constable across England and Wales makes before starting their police service.”
The first stage of refurbishment saw the installation of a stunning ‘Blue Lamp’ light feature which now illuminates the memorial’s glass column from dusk till dawn.
The Police Memorial Trust will continue in it’s work of honouring fallen officers by erecting individual memorials to remember their service and sacrifice.
The memorial is open to 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year so that fallen officers’ loved ones, colleagues, and the public can visit it.