Sir Peter Fahy's tribute to PC Fiona Bone at today's funeral

Fiona Bone

Fiona Bone joined Greater Manchester Police in November 2005 as a volunteer Special Constable on North Manchester Division. She became a full time officer in January 2007 and was posted to the Tameside Division.

It is clear that helping people and building community spirit was at the heart of everything she did. Not only was she a Special Constable, she worked with St John Ambulance, had set up a women’s five-a-side team and was an active member with the Waterway Restoration Group.

After graduating from the University of Central Lancashire, Fiona set about her ambition of becoming a police officer, working in a number of customer service roles to gain experience of serving the public.

In the force she quickly gained recognition as an officer who set the highest standards for herself and for others. Like all new officers she saw life at its most raw, was alongside people at the worst moment of their lives and like all young officers no doubt protected her parents from the full story of what she saw and what she dealt with. She quickly understood that virtue is often not its own reward that there are many frustrations in policing but much satisfaction. While others often seem obsessed with policing in films, crime novels and fly on the wall documentaries Fiona did it for real. Like most police officers Fiona absolutely loved her job and felt privileged to serve the public in this way.

Fiona quickly accepted that she was now part of a disciplined service where staff just get on with whatever is asked of them across the full range of incidents and crimes often going into situations where the risk is unknown but where you put service to the public ahead of yourself. It was in going about her duty in this quiet conscientious way that she met her death.

Fiona’s work received much praise. In October 2009, Fiona was awarded a Chief Superintendent's Commendation for her outstanding contribution to an investigation relating to burglaries and robberies. She was commended for her dedication and determination in securing the convictions of those involved, “throughout the complex investigation.”

Fiona treated everyone with dignity, compassion and respect whatever their background. In 2010, she received a letter of thanks from a person she had arrested and prosecuted. In the letter, the individual thanks Fiona for her assistance in getting him help to change his ways and for being “a decent police officer”.

In his sermon to the National Police Memorial Service on Sunday the Archbishop of York said that in getting so close to the community instead of staying aloof, police officers make themselves more vulnerable.

Sir Robert Peel the father of modern policing saw it thus....... "To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen"

This philosophy was in the DNA of Fiona's approach to policing. She understood that openness, accountability and integrity are central to police effectiveness and the confidence of the public. Whatever may have been national stories of police failings from times before she joined she knew the best way forward was the daily commitment to duty getting on with serving and protecting the public. It is this quiet devotion to duty from Fiona and Nicola which have inspired so many thousands to send in messages of sympathy to their families. Fiona and Nicola knew that policing makes no distinction between what it asks of male and female officers indeed this is what attracted them.

Fiona may have been small in stature but was unquestionably huge in personality, drive and her desire to make a difference. Her personal attributes included an innate ability to deal with people from all kinds of backgrounds and to deal with them in such a way that the interaction was always positive and impressionable.

Her contribution related not just to her work but to her personality, to her character and presence within the team and within the force. She had great promise for the future.

Fiona wanted to become a police officer to help others. No one can deny that she achieved that aim with honours. She did it in such a way that the memory of her humanity and dedication will last forever within the hearts of those who had the pleasure of knowing her and working with her. We will never forget her great sacrifice.