A special memorial service to honour the memory and celebrate the life of West Yorkshire Police Constable Ian Broadhurst, twenty years after he was murdered in the line of duty, has been held at Leeds Minster.
The event was attended by some 300 people and was held on the anniversary of Ian’s funeral, which took place at the same church on January 16, 2004, after he was shot and killed on Boxing Day, 2003.
Members of Ian’s family, including his widow Eilisa and his brother Stephen, were joined by serving and retired colleagues of Ian’s, West Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable John Robins QPM DL and other senior officers, invited dignitaries including the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe OBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Ed Anderson CBE, the High Sheriff of West Yorkshire Zulfi Karim DL, the Lord Mayor of Leeds Councillor Al Garthwaite, as well as local MPs and councillors.
The congregation was welcomed by Canon Paul Maybury, the Rector of Leeds, who led the service, recognising Ian’s “bravery, courage and sacrifice” and that still shown by those who serve in policing.
The Chief Constable gave a eulogy which was based around the original eulogy given by then Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn CBE at Ian’s funeral in 2004.
A reading from Matthew 5, The Sermon on the Mount, was given by the Lord-Lieutenant, and the poem ‘In The Line of Duty’ by Michael Ashby was read by retired Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Preece, who was Ian’s Divisional Commander at the time, as he was based at Killingbeck as a local roads policing officer.
The address and blessing were given by Bishop Arun Arora, the Bishop of Kirkstall, and prayers were led by representatives from West Yorkshire Police Chaplaincy Team.
West Yorkshire Police Band and the Minster Choir performed during the service. Hymns included ‘I Vow to Thee, My Country’ and ‘Make Me a Channel of Your Peace’, and the band performed Nimrod by Edward Elgar.
The event was supported by West Yorkshire Police Benevolent Fund, and donations from the service are going to the COPS Care of Police Survivors charity that supports the families of police officers and staff who have lost their lives on duty.
West Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable John Robins QPM DL said: “It was really important that we took the opportunity around this significant landmark anniversary to support Ian’s family in keeping his memory alive and to continue to recognise the ultimate sacrifice that he made while working to keep our communities safe.”