Pledge a pound in memory of fallen police officers

Northamptonshire Police will be joining colleagues from across the UK this summer to pay tribute to those officers who have sadly lost their lives in service.

More than a thousand participants will descend on the Lake District to light up the Wainwright Peaks later this month as part of the annual fundraising event for Care of Police Survivors (COPS).

Teams will climb to the top of each one of the 214 summits on Saturday, June 18, before lighting blue flares and holding them up to the sky at 3am in memory of colleagues who have died on duty whilst serving with the county Force.

Representing Team Northamptonshire is retired police officer Dick Eady, Detective Constable Mike Norris, PCSOs Charlotte Morris, Matt Taylor and Steph Bacon, police staff members Martin Gatiss and Debrah Stewart and Helen Franks from the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

This hike is always poignant for all those involved, and the Northamptonshire team will be remembering 18 colleagues, including PC Alex Prentice, who died suddenly on April 26.

The team will be climbing England’s sixth highest mountain - Skiddaw, which at 931m (3,054ft) dominates the skyline above Keswick. It is the fourth highest peak in the Lake District and is believed to be the oldest, dating back 500 million years.

Retired detective constable, Dick Eady, who is leading the team, said: “This event is always poignant as we pay our respects to those who have died in service, and this year will be a time of reflections as we remember our colleagues.

“As a Force, we’ve sadly lost both officers and police staff over the past few years. All much-loved friends and colleagues, who have left a huge hole in our policing family, and we will be raising our blue flare in their memory.

“We know it is a challenging time for everyone financially this year, however we’d like to raise as much as possible for Care of Police Survivors (COPS) and are asking people to support us by pledging £1.

“Over the years, the charity has helped hundreds of police families devastated by the loss of a loved one who has died on duty, including those who have lost their lives serving the people of Northamptonshire.”

COPS is a charity dedicated to helping families of officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, providing both practical and emotional support to ensure they have the help they need to rebuild their lives.

For more information about the event visit www.lightthelakes.org.uk or you can support the charity by donating to the teams Just Giving page.