National Police Memorial Day will honour more than 5,000 officers who have died or been killed on duty

National Police Memorial Day will honour more than 5,000 officers who have died or been killed on duty

Families, friends, colleagues and senior officials from throughout the UK will today join a congregation of 1,000 to honour police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice protecting and serving their communities.

Members of the police family will gather at the New Theatre Cardiff for the 20th annual National Police Memorial Day (NPMD).

During the service, prayers will be led, and candles lit by relatives from Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales, in remembrance of their loved ones and fallen officers from throughout the United Kingdom.

South Wales Police Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said:

“It is a real honour to be welcoming colleagues from across the country to Cardiff for the annual National Police Memorial Day – a chance for us all to take some time to reflect and pay tribute.

“Remembering those who have died, and showing our heartfelt gratitude for their service, is of huge significance and importance to us as a police family, and National Police Memorial Day helps us to do exactly that.

“We must not, and will not, forget those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. I know that this year’s memorial day will have added resonance for many colleagues both here in Wales and right across the UK, and we have been all too frequently reminded of the selflessness, dedication and self-sacrifice which members of the police service display each and every day on behalf of others.”

Canon David Wilbraham MBE, co-ordinator for National Police Memorial Day said:

“Since its inception, National Police Memorial Day has been associated with the Royal Family. Police officers are Crown servants who seek to maintain The King’s peace across our nations.

“Those we commemorate at National Police Memorial Day lost their lives as servants of the Crown; each having sworn allegiance to the Monarch.

“I am immensely proud to lead National Police Memorial Day. Grief is a universal experience that affects all our lives and today we gather to support each other and pay tribute to those lost in service.”