Tribute to former North Wales Police Federation rep

23 September 2026

Tributes have been paid to ‘formidable’ former North Wales Police officer and Federation representative Helen Lloyd-Jones.

Branch treasurer and assistant secretary Sam Roberts described her close friend Helen as feisty, determined and caring.

Helen died in July this year aged 66 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three-and-a-half years ago.

She was a North Wales Police officer for 30 years and joined the North Wales Police Federation board in 2001 as the representative for female constables and remained in the role for seven years.

Formidable

Sam said that although Helen had initially been elected to represent female constables, she quickly became known for supporting anyone who needed her help.

She said: “Helen was a formidable woman, without a doubt.”

“She was a feisty, well-liked officer and was just what we wanted on the Federation.

“At the time she joined the Fed, she represented all the female constables, but she didn't just represent them, she represented anybody that was in trouble, anybody that needed help.

 

Helen Lloyd-Jones (right) with daughter Ellis (left) and
Ellis' young daughter Ophir

 

“She was a really valued member of the board and our friendship grew as a result of the work that we did in our roles on the Federation.”

Sam says she admired how Helen combined the demands of being a police officer and Federation representative with bringing up her daughter Ellis as a single parent.

And she said that Helen was always there to help and support people, whether that was as a police constable, a school liaison officer, a Federation rep, or as a mum, a friend, or a teammate on the sports field.

“I totally admired the way she brought up her daughter single-handedly while working as a full-on police officer and volunteering in her role as a Fed Rep ,” Sam said.

Trailblazer

“I think she was a bit of a trailblazer in the force in relation to being a single parent and managing bringing up her daughter on her own while working shifts and holding down a full time career.”

Helen worked in uniform, child protection and in CID, and in 2004 the pair found themselves working together as part of a new all-Wales team of school liaison officers, with Sam managing them.

The officers visited schools to educate children and young people, from primary school through to sixth form, about a wide range of dangers and issues.

Helen covered schools in the Flintshire area and quickly became a familiar and much-loved figure.

 

Helen Lloyd-Jones

 

“She was very much known as PC Helen,” said Sam. “She absolutely adored that role.

“She really loved it and she excelled in it.”

Away from policing, Helen was equally committed to things she loved, particularly golf and hockey.

She played hockey for many years, representing and organising hockey for North Wales Police. She also played for Burtonwood, Wrexham and Buckley.

Golf

When her knees would not allow any more hockey she turned to golf, which quickly became another major part of her life.

She played at Mold Golf Club and was team manager with Flintshire and Denbigh County Golf.

Even while undergoing chemotherapy, Helen refused to give up the sport she loved.

Sam said: “All through her illness, she carried on playing golf. She was playing the month before she died

“She just took to a buggy rather than having to walk everywhere to manage her condition.

Fresh air

“But she carried on playing golf and that was her love. She was a farmer’s daughter and just loved being out in the fresh air.”

Helen’s commitment to helping others continued after she retired from the police.

She became the first female chair of the Flintshire branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers and held the role for several years before stepping down because of her illness.

She also continued to contribute to her community as a teaching assistant in Mold primary schools Ysgol Bryn Coch and Ysgol Glanrafon, and as a family court magistrate.

Helen leaves her daughter Ellis, granddaughter Ophir, sister Emily Pennington and brother Dewi Lloyd-Jones, nephew Garry and niece Sandra.

Smile

Sam said: “Helen was really caring, always happy, always pleased to see you with the biggest smile on her face.

“She was very family orientated and would help anybody at all.

“She was just a good, nice all-round person.”

Sam said that was reflected in Helen’s large circle of friends, from school and policing to hockey and golf.

This created a network of people who rallied around her during her illness, Sam said.

“She had a massive network of friends who all pulled together, particularly towards the end to enable her to stay in her home,” Sam said.

“She will always be Helen 318 to those of us lucky enough to have known and worked with her – never to be forgotten.”

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