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Awards for 30 NI police officers who died in the line of duty

Family A black and white image of a woman kneeling down and laughing. She has short, dark hair, large hoop earrings and is wearing a white top over a dark spotty dress.Family
Constable Philippa Reynolds, 27, died in 2013 when a stolen car crashed into a police vehicle in Londonderry

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has paid tribute to 30 police officers posthumously awarded the Elizabeth Emblem.

The award, named after the late Queen, recognises public servants, such as police and firefighters, who died in the line of duty.

Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and PSNI officers are among 100 people people being posthumously recognised across the UK on Friday.

Among the recipients is Constable Philippa Reynolds who died in 2013, aged 27, when a stolen car crashed into a police vehicle in Londonderry.

Doherty Family A black-and-white photo of a man wearing a suit with a white flower corsage pinned to his lapel. He has a thin moustache and dark, side-parted hair. Doherty Family
John Doherty was the first RUC officer killed in the Republic of Ireland during the Troubles

Constable John Doherty, a 31-year-old, Catholic man who was part of the Criminal Investigation Branch team based in Omagh, County Tyrone, was shot by the IRA while visiting his widowed mother at their family home in Lifford, County Donegal, in 1973.

He was the first RUC officer killed in the Republic of Ireland during the Troubles.

Reserve constable Margaret Cherry Campbell, one of the few women on the list, died in 1975, aged 24, after being struck by a speeding car as she assisted other officers at the scene of a road accident on the main Londonderry to Limavady road.

Fellow reserve constable Robert Struthers died in 1978 when two armed men entered the shop where he was working in Londonderry and shot him.

PA Media Jon Boutcher has grey hair and is leaning slightly forward in his PSNI shirt with his hands clasped in front of himPA Media
The chief constable said the officers' sacrifice and the grief carried by their families must never be forgotten

It is the second such list since the award was announced last year and the first to include recipients from Northern Ireland.

"Their sacrifice and the enduring grief carried by their families must never be forgotten," Ch Con Jon Boutcher said.

"The Elizabeth Emblem is a poignant and powerful symbol of national gratitude – a recognition not only of the officers' ultimate sacrifice, but also of the pain their loved ones have been left behind to process and carry.

"Today, I stand with our police families who have lost a loved one – the Elizabeth Emblem serves as a lasting memory of their bravery.

"Many of our fallen colleagues included on the list lost their lives during the Troubles in Northern Ireland – a painful and turbulent chapter in our history.

"We will honour their memory, and I stand alongside their families in quiet reflection, pride and sorrow."

What is the Elizabeth Emblem?

The Elizabeth Emblem is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the armed forces who died in action or as a result of a terror attack.

PA Media The picture shows two medals with the words for a life given in service in a case with a purple ribbon PA Media
The Elizabeth Emblem recognises public servants, such as police and firefighters, who died in the line of duty

The design of the emblem includes a rosemary wreath - a symbol of remembrance - around the Tudor Crown, which King Charles adopted when he took the throne.

It is inscribed with the words "For A Life Given In Service" and has the name of the person it commemorates on the reverse.

The commemorative emblem is based on a nomination system where members of the public can submit an application for someone who they believe should be recognised after losing their lives undertaking public service.