The Roll can be searched and viewed annually or by current police force area.

  ANNUAL ROLL INDEX

To view the ongoing Annual Roll since 1995 just click on a year below
this Roll contains detailed citations, including the officer's background and photograph when available

2010

Previous Years

2009     2008     2007     2006     2005     2004    2003    2002    2001    2000

 1999    1998    1997    1996    1995

View the entire Historical Roll of Honour by Police Force areas

Officers are shown in their constituent force within the current Police areas.

(Citations are those used for the National Police Memorial Day other than the smaller forces which show more detailed citations)

PLEASE NOTIFY US OF ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY OTHER INFORMATION OR PHOTOGRAPHS.

INTRODUCTION TO THE ROLL OF HONOUR

The Roll of Honour pays tribute to some 4,000 United Kingdom police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty since the earliest days of professional law enforcement. The office of constable is an ancient one and for several centuries was an unpaid position carried out by ordinary citizens. The age of modern professional policing is rightly seen as emanating from the formation of the Metropolitan Police in 1829 but it did not start there.

Prior to 1829 policing was carried out by various peace officers such as the locally appointed but unpaid Parish Constables. The first professional law enforcement officers came some 150 years earlier in the reign of Charles II with a paid Night-Watch; these Watchmen or “Charleys” were much maligned but several paid the ultimate price in carrying out their duties. In the mid 18th century the Bow Street Patrol (known as ‘Runners’) was formed in London and in 1792 the first statutory salaried Constables were attached by Act of Parliament to Police Offices throughout London.

Following this Parliament began to pass local Acts, notably the Glasgow Police Act of 1800, allowing local authorities to begin employing full time constables. Sir Robert Peel actually began his police reforms in Ireland, which joined the UK in 1801, with the formation of the Peace Preservation Force in 1814. How many of these earlier peace officers died in the execution of their duty is unknown but the first recorded death in the “Proceedings of the Old Bailey” dates from 1680 with the killing of a constable whose name was not recorded. This unknown constable is included to represent all the unknown dead.

This Roll is inclusive of all officers known to have died in the line of duty as a result of criminal acts, enemy air raids, misadventure while taking special risks to protect the public or make arrests, accidents while on routine patrol or travelling to and from duty, natural causes and from unknown causes.

The Roll has been compiled after more than twenty five years research, it currently contains some 4,000 names; and around 500 further names are still being researched prior to entry on the Roll.

In a work of this magnitude omissions and errors are inevitable; in addition to recent deaths, each year some 50 new historical names are added for the first time remembering officers long forgotten, as well as around 100 updates and amendments.

The Roll is compiled by Country and alphabetically by current police force area, with cases being shown in chronological order within their constituent forces. The pages display citations for each officer including their rank, full name, date of death, age, brief details of how they died and any posthumous honours. Appendices include a list of current forces, criteria for inclusion and, for the first time, statistics on the causes of death.

Within these pages are the names of many heroes and heroines but mostly the names of ordinary men and women – fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, partners, friends and colleagues. What makes them extraordinary is not how they died but how they lived - doing an often dangerous and thankless job, forgotten until needed - protecting the community for which, in the course of their duties, they lost their lives.

Sadly, as long as police officers are prepared to take risks in the protection of their communities, it is inevitable that the Roll will never be complete. The Trust will ensure future losses are also recorded and added to the Roll, which will continue to serve as an ongoing memorial to those who lose their lives in the service of the public, and those left behind may now be assured their loss will never be forgotten.

This Roll is a tribute to those men and women and to their families – lest we forget.