Published at 14:08, Friday, 27 November 2009

Today’s funeral in Egremont of hero policeman Bill Barker was being conducted with full police honours and a painful confusion of grief, pride and gratitude.

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PC Barker lost his life last Friday, while trying to save others from falling to their death.

He was standing on Workington’s crumbling Northside bridge, signalling motorists to turn back to safety when the bridge suddenly collapsed beneath his feet and plunged him into the swollen, fast-flowing torrent of the River Derwent.

Witnesses said a man and his young son had been ushered to safety by PC Barker just moments before the bridge gave away with a terrible crash.

At his funeral in St Mary’s and St Michael’s Church in Main Street today there was to be a guard of honour made up of police officers and friends. PC Barker had many friends. He had served for 25 years as a police office in his own community. he had earned the respect and affection he enjoyed as a police officer and a neighbour.

PC Barker leaves a wife, Hazel, and four children Simon, 16, Melissa, 15, Daniel, 13, and Emma, eight.

Tributes to this committed serving officer have been numerous and fulsome.

PC Barker has been praised as a hero by the Prime Minister and leaders of both main opposition parties; his attempts to save lives at the height of danger in Workington won praise and thanks from local politicians, his own superiors and colleagues in Cumbria Constabulary, from his neighbours and close friends – and from the Queen.

And in a heartbreaking tribute from his widow Hazel, he was described as: “My best friend. My forever friend.”

She said: “How do you put into words how you feel about somebody you are so proud of?

“Bill was my best friend, my forever friend, and an amazing dad. Even when he was exhausted from work, he would always take time out for the kids.

“I have the comfort of knowing that Bill died doing the job he loved, and the fact that he was helping others is just typical Bill.”

The life and service of “just typical Bill” were to be at the heart of today’s funeral service.

The Rector of Egremont, the Rev Richard Lee, conducting today’s service, said “First and foremost this is a funeral with Bill’s family at the heart of it but Cumbria Constabulary will be honouring their friend and colleague in an outward and visible way.”

Mr Lee said: “He was clearly a very fine family man, a man of principle and someone to be looked up to and respected.

“The family is distraught, as you can imagine, but they are being well supported, as the people of Egremont do in times of tragedy.”

Members of the Whitehaven Motorcycle Action Group will have a special presence at the funeral.

PC Barker’s own bike, a Kawasaki RSX 1200, will be ridden by one of his best friends, Rajeev Sood.

Another of his close biking friends, Paul Turner, chairman of the action group and a former police colleague at Cleator Moor, said: “Bill was happy all the time, a larger-than-life character – he liked a good laugh and sharing a joke.

“Personally and professionally he was caring and compassionate, helping bereaved families in similar situations as his own lovely family now.

“He was such a nice guy who would do anything for you, just got on with the job and never complained.”

PC Barker’s death stunned the whole of Cumbria and shocked the country, bringing stark realisation of exactly how imperilled the county had been in those terrifying first days of flooding.

That he had died while trying to rescue others from imminent danger marked him instantly as a local and national hero.

Chief Constable Craig Mackey said of PC Barker: “He was a hero who died saving the lives of others. He was a sterling officer, a much loved friend, colleague and an inspiration to everyone he knew.

“He will be sadly missed.”

He described PC Barker as “a hero officer who went to work to protect the people of Cumbria and didn’t come home.”

Inspector Ian Poultney, on behalf of the Cumbria Police Federation, said: “Bill was just doing his job as he has done for the last 25 years, serving the people of west Cumbria.

“He was a well respected and loved colleague.”

Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: “Being part of the police service means walking towards danger and in the best tradition of the service that is what Bill Barker bravely did.”

Copeland MP Jamie Reed added his tribute with: “Bill was driven by his mission to protect the public before anything else even entered his mind – he is a hero and we will never forget him.”

And Chris Whiteside, Tory prospective parliamentary candidate for Copeland, said “Bill’s sacrifice, as he died helping to save others, reminds us how important the work of the police is in protecting our communities.”

Almost 2,500 people have shown support to name a new bridge at Northside after PC Bill Barker.

The campaign was launched by Acacia Begley, 17, of Seaton, Workington, who said the group had received enormous support from people who wanted to see PC Barker remembered.

She said: “I set up the group in memory of one of the heroes of the floods and honestly believe this is the least that could be done in memory of him.

“He had served in the Workington Police Force for 25 years, and while saving others, unfortunately he lost his life.

“I believe that his heroism should be shown by naming the bridge after him, so generations to come will be aware of a very brave and selfless man.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “The whole community is devastated by the loss of his life and he will be remembered as a hero.

“Police Constable Bill Barker died trying to save the lives of others.

“He was a very heroic, very brave man who will be sorely missed by everybody who was close to him.

“I think we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for the service he has shown.

“This is what we mean by emergency services – they are called upon to act in the most difficult of circumstances and this is a day where we pay tribute to everything that is done by our emergency services.”

n Cumbria Police Federation has set up a bank account for people wanting to donate money to the family of PC Bill Barker.

Donations can be made by transferring money to a new HSBC account in the name of Bill Barker – number 32260042 and sort code 40 16 22 – or by sending a cheque to Cumbria Police Federation at No 1 The Green, Carleton Avenue, Penrith CA10 2BA.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk