Police memorial plaques taken down

Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable for Greater Manchester Police, and Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd took part in an official removal of plaques commemorating police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty

This morning, Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable for Greater Manchester Police (GMP), and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Tony Lloyd took part in an official removal of plaques commemorating police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The removal of the plaques is part of the decommissioning process for Chester House, which served as GMP headquarters for 33 years and is due to be closed down. 

PCC Tony Lloyd said: "When police officers give their lives in the line of duty, we always commit to never forget that they gave their lives to keep us safe. Making sure these plaques are rehoused in a prominent place is part of that commitment. We will never forget their sacrifice and we will never forget the service of those that we honour once again in this ceremony."

Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said: “Today, I am helping to move memorial plaques at Chester House for our fallen colleagues and reflecting on the service they gave to the communities of Greater Manchester.

“However, we do not only look after our own. Since Christmas, my officers have had to give a number of families of young men devastating news about their loved ones.

“Our thoughts go out to the families of Michael Simpson, whose body was found last week after he was reported missing on New Year’s Eve, and the family of the young man who was fatally stabbed in Old Trafford yesterday afternoon. We will find the person responsible for this crime.

“As a parent myself, I can understand that these families will feel that these young men were taken before their time, that they died when they had their whole future to look forward to.

“The parents and younger brother of Souvik Pal are also uppermost in our thoughts, as they are desperate to know what has happened to a promising young student who has not been seen since New Year’s Eve.

“We are committed to finding Souvik and ensuring we get to the bottom of what happened in Old Trafford.

“The majority of police officers are parents themselves, and they too would want to know that the police were doing everything that they could.

“It is in this spirit that we carry out all of our investigations, as we understand that the truth is perhaps the only comfort to tragedy.”