London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 20, 2025

Prince leads tributes to police killed on duty

Prince leads tributes to police killed on duty

Prince Charles has led tributes to police officers who have died in the line of duty including a sergeant who was shot dead two days ago.

The Prince of Wales said Sgt Matiu Ratana's death was the "latest heartbreaking evidence of the risks".

The 54-year-old who died after being shot by a handcuffed suspect was remembered during an online service for National Police Memorial Day.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "we own them a huge debt".

The Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said the death of a police officer on duty was a "rare thing".

She said her thoughts were with grieving families as six other officers who have died on duty in the past 12 months were also remembered.

Sgt Ratana, from New Zealand, is the eighth police officer in the UK to be shot dead in the past 20 years.

He died in hospital on Friday after a shooting in Croydon Custody Centre. A 23-year-old suspect, who is thought to have shot himself, remains in a critical condition in hospital.


Matt Ratana died in hospital after being shot as a handcuffed suspect was being taken into custody


Prince Charles, who made an address ahead of the online service, said: "I particularly wish to remember those officers who have so tragically lost their lives since we met in Glasgow last year.

"The dreadful incident in Croydon on Friday is the latest heartbreaking evidence of the risks faced by our officers daily.

"I would like to send my deepest sympathy to the families of each of these officers who have given their lives."

Reverend Cannon David Wilbraham led the 20-minute service online where a candle was lit to those who had died.

The service which included serving police officers, Prime Minister Boris Johnson would have been held at Lincoln Cathedral before coronavirus restrictions saw it move online.

Mr Johnson said: "The police officers we remember today represent the very best of us. They laid down their lives to prevent us from coming to harm and we own them a huge debt."


PC Andrew Harper married his childhood sweetheart Lissie four weeks before his death


Family members, including Lissie Harper wife of PC Andrew Harper also took part in the video that was recorded in advance.

PC Harper, 28, died after he suffered sustained catastrophic injuries when he was dragged behind a getaway car in Berkshire last August.

Reverend Wilbraham said: "In some ways it is all the more poignant for being online.

"The reality of loss must often be felt most in the home."

"It is a sharp focus on the dangers that are faced," he added.


David Wilbraham, National Police chaplain, said the online memorial was "a meaningful, emotive service"


John Apter, of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "National Police Memorial Day ensures that police officers who gave their all are never forgotten.

"We must always remember them, their commitment and ultimate sacrifice to public service."

The service is held each year on the nearest Sunday to St Michael's Day, the patron saint of police.

A small service was held at Lincoln Cathedral with Chief Constable Bill Skelly, Reverend Tanya Lord and Phil Clark from the Police Federation, where a candle was lit to those who had died in service.

Dame Cressida had earlier laid a wreath at the National Police Memorial in central London with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Priti Patel.

All three stood for a minute's silence to remember officers who had lost their lives while on duty.


The 2020 memorial service was due to be held at Lincoln Cathedral

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
×