PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone: Calls for medal recognition

PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes were murdered while on duty in 2012

Police bosses are backing a campaign to recognise the sacrifice of emergency workers killed in the line of duty.

Police and crime commissioners in England and Wales have called for the families of those killed to be awarded a medal similar to the Elizabeth Cross.

They have given their support to the campaign, which was launched by Bryn Hughes in April.

His daughter Nicola Hughes, 23, along with Fiona Bone, 32, were killed in an ambush in Greater Manchester in 2012.

The unarmed Greater Manchester Police officers were shot and attacked with a grenade while responding to what was believed to be a routine burglary report in Mottram, Tameside.

PC Nicola Hughes, pictured alongside her father Bryn, was killed in September 2012

Following the 10th anniversary of their murders, the PCCs have written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman asking her to consider awarding a posthumous medal to emergency service workers.

"Incidents like this are thankfully rare but are devastating when they do happen," they said in the joint letter.

"All police forces in England and Wales will have tragic instances of colleagues killed in the course of serving their communities.

"Sadly, however, no award exists for their families to recognise their sacrifice.

"We believe that a medal similar to the Elizabeth Cross would ensure that any emergency service worker who dies while carrying out their duties would be honoured and remembered appropriately with the dignity they duly deserve."

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The medal, first awarded in 2009, is currently given to relatives of members of the armed forces who have been killed in action since the end of World War Two or as a result of a terrorist attack.

They added the idea had been "in development for some time" but it had been submitted now as they felt it was "an appropriate way of marking both this significant anniversary and the exceptional lifetime of service of Her late Majesty".

The Home Office previously said it was carefully considering appropriate ways to ensure the sacrifice officers make was recognised.