Preparations for 2023 PUT ride get underway

19 July 2023

The countdown to this year’s Police Unity Tour bike ride is underway with the West Mercia Police team gearing up for the 200-mile challenge.

Riders will set off from Force HQ on Friday 28 July and reach the finish line on Sunday 30 July at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffs, where a service of remembrance for fallen friends and colleagues takes place.

The annual event raises funds for Care of Police Survivors (COPS), the UK-wide charity which is dedicated to helping the families of police officers and staff who have lost their lives on duty.

Each cyclist will be wearing a wristband specifically dedicated to a fallen officer which is traditionally presented to family members of those officers at the end of the ride.

Action from last year's PUT ride

Hundreds of officers representing police forces across the country will take part in the ride which was first held back in 1997 as a low-key fund-raising event but has grown into a major international event and is now one of the key dates in the policing calendar.

Serving and retired police officers and Specials can take part in the event and participants talk about the extraordinary camaraderie between fellow riders and the lifelong friendships that have been forged in the saddle.

West Mercia Police Federation chair Barry Horton said: “The Police Unity Tour is a fantastic event and a real highlight of the policing year.

“At its heart is the remembrance of fallen colleagues and supporting the families of those police officers and staff who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

“The COPS service which marks the end of the event is a moving experience which provides a poignant reminder of the risks that our members face every time they report for duty.”