Digital memorial to fallen police officers and staff launched

A digital memorial to thousands of UK police officers and staff who lost their lives on duty has been launched.

Each day the names and images of people who died on that date will be published on the Digital UK Police Memorial.

In-depth stories, that are compiled by Liverpool John Moores University students, will also be published.

The roll of honour has been set up as part of plans for a new physical memorial which is due to open at the National Memorial Arboretum in 2021.

Since the first professional police force - the Bow Street Runners - was set up in 1749, 4,200 UK police officers and staff have died on duty.

The Police Arboretum Memorial Trust unveiled the roll of honour earlier.

Chair of trustees Sir Hugh Orde said: "When we set out on this ambitious project in 2015, the trust not only wanted to create a physical memorial, but also wanted to create a memorial fit for the modern age.

"Our aim was to demonstrate to the public that when a police officer dies they are not just someone in uniform, but that they are a husband, wife, father, mother, son or daughter."

The National Memorial Arboretum, in Alrewas, Staffordshire, is currently visited by 300,000 people a year.

The new digital memorial can be seen at http://digital.ukpolicememorial.org/.

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