Campaign leads to award for public servants killed on duty

Bryn Hughes and Paul Bone both received an Elizabeth Emblem following the deaths of their daughters PCs Nicola Hughes, from Diggle, and Fiona Bone, who were murdered by Dale Cregan in Tameside in 2012.

Following a campaign by Mr Hughes and Mr Bone, it was announced earlier this year that the emblem would be awarded to the next of kin of police officers, firefighters and other public servants.

Asked about the award, Mr Hughes, who received an MBE in 2022, said: “I think it’s vitally important, not just for Nicola and Fiona and for other police officers, but all public sector workers who are killed or die in the line of duty or in operational circumstances.

“It’s vitally important that they’re recognised and remembered.”

Brun Hughes with his daughter, Nicola (Image: GMP)

The honour is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK armed forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack.

Mr Hughes said politicians had told him the award was “long overdue”, adding “there was an element of surprise that nothing like this existed before”.

Both men met the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, on Wednesday over their campaigning work, with Mr Bone saying the meeting was “icing on the cake” for their campaign.

Mr Hughes and Mr Bone meeting with Pat McFadden, left, and Sir Keir Starmer, second from right (Image: Benjamin Cremel/PA)

Mr Bone said Sir Keir Starmer told them “he couldn’t imagine losing his children”.

He added: “We kind of replied: ‘Well, we didn’t actually imagine losing ours either, but once it’s happened, you’ve got to carry on’.”

The design of the emblem includes a rosemary wreath, a traditional symbol of remembrance, surrounding a Tudor Crown and the inscription “For A Life Given In Service”.

The Elizabeth Emblem (Image: Cabinet Office/PA)

Asked how his daughter would feel about the award, Mr Hughes said: “I know Nicola would be embarrassed.

“I think she’d be pleased and proud that it had happened for us, but I think she’d be embarrassed about it.”

Ms Hughes, 23, and Ms Bone, 32, died in a gun and grenade attack while responding to a bogus 999 call in Mottram in Longendale.

Bryn Hughes, left, and Paul Bone outside Downing Street (Image: Lucy North/PA)

Mr Hughes said his daughter “loved the job”, adding: “Police officers put their lives on the line every single day. They don’t know what they’re going into.

“They don’t know what’s behind that door and for me that says a lot about what they do every day.”

Mr Bone said he would like their daughters to be remembered as “happy, bubbly public servants”, adding “they were doing their job happily, tried to help people – on that day it just went all wrong”.

Mr Bone, from Pool in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, said every public sector worker who dies in the line of duty “should have the opportunity to be remembered and honoured”.