Cycle set to get underway as fallen officers are remembered

The annual police unity UK cycle for fallen officers will get underway on Friday 26 July.

More than 30 officers, staff and family members will tackle the Midlands leg of the 180 miles cycle, starting at force headquarters and ending with a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire.

The tour which lasts a total of three days raises money for the Care of Police Survivors (COPS) a UK charity founded in 1997 dedicated to helping the families of those who have lost their lives whilst on duty.

The Leicestershire Police officers, staff and family members taking part are:

Name                                                                                  Riding for

Katie	Coleman	Edwin Trump
Emma	Maxwell	John Palmer
Martin	Leeland	John Davidson
Sally	Porch	Tim Burton
Ryan	Coleman	Philip Eames
Tiffany	Lynch	Ian Wheelwright
Leanne	Marshall	John Newell
Christopher	Moore	Bryan Moore
Jim	Holyoak	Brian Hawkes
Cara	Guest-Moore	Stacey Pike
Robert	Nixon	Catherine Godfrey
Mark	Morris	Cyril Thoroughgood
Victoria	Moore	Bryan Moore
Jon	Carter-Lang	Andy Munn
Charlotte	Carter-Lang	David Lowe
Mick	Graham	Harold Prew
Alison	Guest-Moore	Brian Dawson
Sanjay	Chauhan	Anthony Thornley

Chris Moore, whose father, Bryan passed away whilst on duty in 2002, will be completing his fourth COPS unity cycle.

He said: “The three days are a real physical and emotional journey with peaks and troughs along the way.

“The first day (Friday) is really emotional. We have the service before we leave, it’s a time for reflection and serves as a reminder for what you are about to do.

“The first ten miles or so on the bike is really surreal, then it dawns on you that you are on the bike for another five or six hours and that’s when the support from the convoy team following you and the people you are riding with is so important.

“Everyone has a wristband with the name of the person they are riding in honour of. When things get a bit tough, you take a look at that. It puts things into perspective and really spur’s you on.

“COPS has been an incredible support mechanism for me and my sister Vicky, who is also taking part in the ride. My Dad passed away in 2002 when Vicky and I were 11 and 13 respectively. At that age you have no understanding of how that will impact your life.

“Without COPS there would have been no one of a similar age to turn to, no one who really understands what you’re going through.

“The charity helps to bring together people of a similar age who are in the same position. It is a platform to develop friendships and networks not just in the immediate moment, but also moving forward as it is never something you can just ‘get over’.

Donate towards this fantastic cause - https://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/EastMids2019