Secretary Tom humbled by Police Unity Tour

4 August 2025

Secretary Tom Hill says he was honoured to represent Nottinghamshire Police Federation at this year’s Police Unity Tour (PUT).

Tom joined more than 500 riders in cycling into the National Memorial Arboretum ahead of Sunday’s annual Care of Police Survivors (COPS) Service of Remembrance.

The PUT honours those officers who have died in the line of duty and raises money for the COPS charity.

It involves police officers, staff and supporters cycling from forces across England and Wales in a three-day ride to the arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.

 

Tom (back right) and fellow riders from Nottinghamshire.

 

Riders from Nottinghamshire Police cycled in memory of Christopher McDonald, Ged Walker and Graham Saville, who all died on duty, as well as other colleagues who have tragically died in service.

Tom, who was taking part in his second tour, said: “The tour is not only a physical challenge, it’s an emotional experience too.

“I felt honoured and privileged to be representing Nottinghamshire Police Federation in memory of our fallen colleagues.

“It’s a extremely humbling to ride into the arboretum and be greeted by the families and loved ones of fallen officers.”

Arboretum

With the 530 PUT cyclists safely within the arboretum, Gill Marshall, the COPS national president, welcomed the congregation, which included chief officers, Federation representatives, policing stakeholders and those who had completed the Police Unity Tour (PUT), to the service.

It featured music from the West Midlands Police Brass Band and its vocalist Superintendent Sam Batey, who sang two songs.

Having lost her own police officer husband in 2006, Gill reassured the families of fallen officers at the service that their sacrifice is never forgotten despite the day-to-day challenges of policing.

Gill read out the roll of honour, remembering the officers who had died in the last year:

Acting Sergeant Reece Buckenham of Hertfordshire Police who died on 29 June 2024;

DC Karen Smith of Humberside Police who died on 18 December 2024;

PC Rosie Prior of North Yorkshire Police who died on 11 January 2025;

PC Michael Bruce of the Metropolitan Police who died on 14 June 2025, and

PC Ian Minett of Gloucestershire Constabulary who died on 21 June 2025.

The roll of honour was followed by a minute’s silence.

Roll of honour

Three family members who had lost a police officer also gave their own readings.

Laurie Murphy talked about the impact the death of her father – Dyfed Powys DC Roger Meyrick – in 1990 had on her. She was 16 at the time and had a sister who was 13 and a brother who was 9.

Roger was 37 when he died in a head-on crash with a lorry while he was on surveillance training, which also claimed the lives of three other Dyfed Powys officers.

Fiona Deans, sister of PC Peter Deans, 25, of Avon and Somerset Police, told of the effect it had on her when her brother died with colleague PC Jonathan Stapley on 29 December 1984 when they were in a road accident during a police chase.

 

Tom Hill pays tribute to fallen colleagues.

 

She said it could be ‘just as hard, just as tough’ to lose an officer when you were a sibling, and welcomed the support of the COPS siblings group and the charity generally.

The third family member to speak was Susan Gibson, the daughter of Sergeant Edward Thomson of Strathclyde Police. He was 41 when he died on 13 January 1982 after a road accident. Susan, who was 21, had been a nurse at the time and remembered going to the hospital to see him after the accident and expecting him to survive. But sadly he died from catastrophic injuries to his chest.

During the service, wreaths were laid by for the Office of the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, the High Sheriff of Staffordshire, the Home Office, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the College of Policing, the Blue Knights, the Police Unity Tour and COPS.

Service

West Yorkshire Chief Constable John Robins, a COPS trustee, closed the service.

He said: “We all know COPS was survivor initiated and survivor led, it will also always be survivor focussed.”

Chief Constable Robins also thanked everyone involved in the remembrance service, paying tribute to families who he said had faced ‘unimaginable loss’ but stood united and proud in memory of their loved ones.

After the service, families and other guests made their way to The Beat, an avenue of trees dedicated to individual forces and officers to lay wreaths and single red roses.

Next year’s COPS service will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum on Sunday 9 August.