And they’re off!
Not quite the weather we ordered but it takes more than rain to put off officers remembering heroic colleagues who died in the line of duty.
Five officers including Assistant Chief Constable Tonya Antonis set off from Durham Constabulary’s headquarters this morning as they embarked on The Police Unity Tour. The 260-mile cycle challenge raises money for the Care of Police Survivors (COPS) – a charity which supports families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
The tour is an annual long-distance ride that sees hundreds of police officers, staff, and their families converge on the UK Police Memorial at the National Arboretum, in Staffordshire, to remember their fallen colleagues.
As part of their first leg today, the team stopped in Coxhoe to pay tribute to Durham officer, PC William Shiell, who was tragically shot dead after responding to reports of a burglary on March 1, 1940. The 29-year-old left behind a young widow and a three-year-old daughter. All of Coxhoe stopped work for his funeral, at which around 200 of his fellow officers attended.
His killers, William Appleby and Vincent Ostler, from Bradford, were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death by hanging on July 10, 1940. Sergeant Pete Tate, who organised the ride alongside Inspector Ed Turner, read out a special tribute to PC Shiell before the team took a few moments to pay their respects at the spot where he was murdered.
The team then continued on their journey to York where they will join other riders from the North East Chapter and make the onward journey to Staffordshire over the next three days. They are also being joined by Inspector Lee Morris and Phil Stephenson, from Durham Police Federation, who are providing support to the riders throughout their challenge.
ACC Antonis, who is taking part in the full event for the first time, said: “This is a very special event, and it is a real honour to be part of it this year. Every day our officers and staff head off to work and put themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities; but tragically, some of them don’t return home to their families after their shift has ended. This event is a way to honour our colleagues who have made the ultimate sacrifice and to raise awareness for the amazing work that COPS does in supporting their bereaved families.”
Inspector Turner added: “It is always a real privilege to take part in this event. It is more than just a cycle ride – it is a chance for us to collectively ride in memory of our fallen colleagues, to show that we, as a police service, will never forget their sacrifice. This challenge is not about any of us riders, but for the families of the colleagues we’ve lost in the line of duty. We serve and ride for them.”
There’s still time to donate to the challenge. If you would like to, click here
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
