The tragedy of Kent's first policeman killed on duty

A sketch of the discovery of the body of PC Israel May, the first Kent Police officer to be killed on duty, in 1873

On Sunday 24 August, 1873, residents in a Kent town woke to find themselves at the centre of a grisly moment of policing history.

Lying in a field in Snodland was the body of PC Israel May, the first member of the Kent constabulary to be killed on duty.

Discovered with gruesome head injuries, PC May's death shocked a community and marked another tragedy for the officer's family.

Standing beside his grave, Kent Police Museum volunteer Pam Mills told Secret Kent that PC May's death was "so, so sad", and that more could be done to continue to remember him.

She said: "PC May's head was so severely battered that the two people who discovered him didn't realise it was him.

"They went to tell PC May that they had found a body."

When it was realised that the body discovered at 06:15 BST that morning, along with a police cap, was PC May.

But his truncheon, the weapon with which he was killed, was missing.

Having been a bobby on the beat in Snodland for around 20 months, suspicions immediately fell to people known to have had run-ins with PC May.

Two people, privates from the Royal Engineers, were initially arrested having been in the area, but later discharged.

Ultimately it was Tommy Atkins, a well-known adversary of PC May's, who was arrested for the officer's murder.

Having previously told a ferryman that he was "going to get" the officer, Atkins was charged with his murder after a second cap found in the field was identified as belonging to him.

Despite the evidence against him, Atkins escaped the noose. At trial, he argued that he had acted in self-defence, and that PC May had struck him with the truncheon first.

Atkins was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

As well a shocking a community, PC May's death came as the latest in a string of tragedies for his family.

Having suffered the deaths of their daughter in 1871, and son in 1872, the death of PC May the following year came as another blow to his wife, Elizabeth.

Her grief was so much that she was forbidden from attending her husband's funeral, taking away her chance to say a final goodbye.

PC Israel May's grave, in Snodland

Funds were raised to help her Ms May, with 504 pounds, 12 shillings and threepence donated in total. Of this, 500 was invested in a mortgage for her.

Now, all that remains to remember PC May is a small grave in All Saints Graveyard, in Snodland.

Ms Mills said: "It's so, so sad, but I have put in a request to the Police Benevolence Fund to clean up this grave to honour him.

"He is definitely not forgotten. We have a memorial wall and a national police roll of honour, and I know that come the anniversary of his death the page of that roll will be turned to honour him."