Police widows set up charity to support bereaved families

PC Neil Doyle and PC Dave Phillips were killed within 10 months of each other

The widow of a Merseyside police officer who was killed off-duty has said he would be "so proud" that a charity had been set up in his name.

PC Neil Doyle, 36, died after he was punched while on a night out in Liverpool city centre in December 2014.

Sarah Doyle and the widow of PC Dave Phillips have set up the Doyle Phillips Foundation to support families of those who have died while in the force.

PC Phillips was run over by a stolen pick-up during a police chase in 2015.

While there is already a charity that supports families of officers killed on duty, Ms Doyle and Jen Phillips want to support families of officers killed in tragic circumstances, whether on or off-duty.

Ms Doyle told BBC Radio Merseyside: "It's not only the loss of a person, it's the loss of an added connection to the police family."

She said the majority of her husband's friends were police officers and "to lose that police family connection was massive".

"It's people who know what you're gong through, you can pick the phone up any time if you're having a rough couple of days and they just get it," she said.

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She added: "Neil was full of life, he loved going to work and protecting the community.

"He'd be really, really proud. He'd probably think we're nuts for doing it but he'd be really honoured."

Ms Doyle said she and Ms Phillips had formed a close friendship and their mutual support had been "a lifeline".

Two men were jailed for PC Doyle's manslaughter in September 2015.

A car thief was convicted of PC Phillips' manslaughter in March 2016.

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