Memorial to Leicestershire Police's 'laughing policeman'
- Published
About 10,000 people lined the streets for his funeral
A memorial to "England's heaviest police officer", who is thought to be the inspiration behind the Laughing Policeman song, is to be unveiled.
PC John "Tubby" Stephens, who weighed 24 stone 3lbs (154kg), served as an officer in Leicester for 22 years during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
He was known for having a "larger-than-life" character and crowds of people would follow him around while on duty.
About 10,000 people lined the city's streets for his funeral., external
Despite his popularity, Stephens, who died in 1908, aged 48, was buried in an unmarked grave in Leicester.
Experts believe his grave was left without a stone because his family did not own the cemetery plot.
A beer has been named after Stephens, but this permanent memorial is the culmination of 12 months of research by Leicestershire Police's archivist.
'Popular figure'
"Tubby was an iconic Leicestershire police officer who patrolled the clock tower," said Simon Cole, chief constable of Leicestershire Police, at the launch of the beer earlier this month., external
"People travelling to the city would know about Tubby and seek him out on duty. He was absolutely legendary and a real popular figure in the city of Leicester."
Tubby Stephens is the inspiration for a guest beer
Steve Bruce, a tour guide in Leicester, added that it felt right Stephens was being honoured.
He said: "We've got a chap here who was clearly quite a character, larger than life in all respects, and it is sad that for well over 100 years his grave has not been marked.
"It is nice to think that there will be a commemoration for a chap who was very well liked by people in Leicester."
The stone for PC Stephens, funded by the Leicestershire Police Federation, will be unveiled at 12:00 GMT at his grave in Welford Road Cemetery.
The Laughing Policeman
The song was first recorded in 1922 by music hall performer and entertainer Charles Penrose, under the pseudonym Charles Jolly
The composition of the song is credited to Penrose's wife, Mabel, under the alias Billie Grey
It is unclear whether the song was directly inspired by PC John "Tubby" Stephens
There had been other laughing policemen songs, Sergeant Flanagan and The Special Constable that predate Mr Penrose's track
The song was popular with listeners on BBC Radio 1's Junior Choice show during the 1960s and '70s
The artist also used Charles Pencaws, Arty Chuckles and Merry Andrew as pseudonyms