Police raise £15,000 in ride for fallen colleagues

4 hours ago

Helen Burchell

News image — Officers from Northamptonshire Police cycled 200 miles for The Police Unity Tour

James Grant/BBC A group of cyclists dressed in pink and blue jerseys and wearing a mix of blue and yellow helmets line up ready to ride. They are flanked by two police officers on motorcycles in high visibility clothing. — Officers from Northamptonshire Police cycled 200 miles for The Police Unity Tour

Police officers have raised more than £15,000 on a 200-mile (322km) charity bike ride in support of families of colleagues who have died in the line of duty.

The 22 riders from Northamptonshire Police took part in the UK Police Unity Tour in aid of Care of Police Survivors (COPS), a charity that looks after the relatives of fallen officers.

They set off from Kettering on 7 August, arriving at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the home of the UK Police Memorial, on 9 August.

The county's force has raised more than £50,000 since it began taking part in the tour in 2022.

The event brings together hundreds of officers from forces across the UK, who begin the ride from different locations before travelling to the memorial, where a service of remembrance is held.

This year's ride was the first since the death in 2025 of Northamptonshire officer PC Faizaan Najeeb, who was struck by a car while attending a crash on Station Road in Raunds, Northamptonshire.

Northamptonshire Police A group of people wearing lycra cycling gear are standing in a row with bicycles. They are flanked at each end by a police motorcycle officer standing next to their motorcycle. The group picture has been taken in front of an elaborate brick building with towers and flags. — The Northamptonshire team set off from Kettering, arriving at the memorial two days later

Before the riders set off, a memorial service was held at Northamptonshire Police's Northern Accommodation Building, where friends and colleagues of Najeeb came together to lay flowers in the memorial garden and honour the memory of all those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The riders were supported by Debbie Adlam, the mother of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed while responding to a burglary in Berkshire in 2019.

Northamptonshire Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet attended the service of remembrance.