Hampshire Officers Cycle In 12th UK Police Unity Tour

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary have cycled in the 12th UK Police Unity Tour to the COPS Service of Remembrance, to honour fallen officers from around the UK.

Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoë Wakefield said: “This is such a vital event in the policing calendar, where we remember all our fallen officers – it’s really important for the families to know that their loved ones aren’t forgotten.

“We also raise significant amounts of money for the Care of Police Survivors (COPS) charity that supports the families. When you speak to the families about the amount of support they’ve got from COPS, it’s amazing. Many of them say they don’t know how they would have got through it without the support of COPS. They get a real source of support from being able to connect to other families that are in the same situation as them.”

On 25 July, a group of cyclists from Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police set off from the memorial garden in Netley, on to the Thames Valley Police memorial wall in Sulhamstead, where they had two short services to remember fallen officers.

They continued to Milton Keynes, where they joined up with a number of other southern police forces and cycled in a large peloton to Tamworth, where they were met by the northern and Welsh forces. When the cyclists arrived at Drayton Manor, they were met by bereaved families.

Zoë said: “This gets me every year, but all the children of fallen officers hand out medals to the riders. It always gets me how many children have lost a parent. All the families are there so you can get to chat to them, which is really lovely.

“And then on the Sunday, we cycled to the National Memorial Arboretum and attended the COPS Service of Remembrance alongside chief officers from every force, which is a wonderful occasion.”