Federation team supported funeral policing operation

21 September 2022

Terasa (centre left) and Al (back) with some of the officers involved in the policing operation.

Hertfordshire Police Federation sent its welfare van to London to support officers on duty at the Queen’s funeral.

More than 10,000 police officers were deployed on the day of the funeral itself as reinforcements from all over Britain worked alongside officers from the Met to ensure the ceremony and procession went without a hitch and the vast numbers of people who crowded into the capital were kept safe.

Hertfordshire Police sent around 100 officers to carry out patrols, security and other key police work in relation to the funeral and the period of mourning, during which hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world descended on London.

Branch secretary Al Wollaston and full-time rep and equality lead Terasa Holden spent the weekend ahead of the funeral in London with the welfare van.

Al said: “This was the biggest police operation in British history and the branch is proud that our members were involved in such a momentous occasion.

“We felt it was very important to support and assist them in any way we could so we took our welfare van and supplied officers with a hot drink and a snack and a quiet place to sit for five minutes.

“Police officers from every force in the UK were involved and we were pleased to be there for them. Hopefully, they were pleased to see us too!”

As well as offering support to officers involved in the mutual aid operation, Al and Terasa were also able to visit Met police stations to support officers some of whom had been working 12-hour shifts for 12 days with no rest days.

Federation welfare vans involved in supporting the policing operation.

The complex policing operation, which was decades in the planning, has been deemed a success.

Downing Street said Prime Minister Liz Truss was “incredibly grateful” for all the work that went into putting on the Queen’s funeral, the “single biggest event” since the 2012 Olympics.

A Number 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is incredibly grateful for all those working on this event.

“It included thousands of civil servants, Armed Forces personnel, police officers, transport staff, stewards and marshals, first aiders and volunteers.

“It has been the single biggest event since the London Olympics, equivalent to hundreds of state visits in just 10 days. It was an event I think we all can agree allowed people from all across the UK and around the world to come together and pay their respects.

“The huge outpouring of love, respect and affection we’ve seen over the last weeks has not only been a remarkable show of unity across the country, but also a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of Her Majesty the Queen.”