Memorial unveiled for Wallingford PC Andrew Harper

PC Andrew Harper, from Wallingford, died aged 28, when he was dragged for a mile by a tow rope loop on a fleeing car, after confronting quad bike thieves in a country lane near Sulhamstead in Berkshire, in 2019.

Three teenagers were handed custodial sentences of between 13 and 16 years for manslaughter.

Dressed in their ceremonial tunics and dress cap, representatives of national police associations joined PC Harper’s friends, local councillors and his widow Lissie, at a private ceremony in Reading Town Hall, ahead of the plaque’s unveiling at Forbury Gardens.

They were joined by Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg and Geraldine Winner, the widow of the late filmmaker who founded the Police Memorial Trust.

Mrs Harper, who was married just 28 days before his death, said in a speech: “He was proud to serve as a police officer, but to me, he was so much more.

“He was my partner, my strength, and my first love.

“He had a kind heart, a steady presence, and a quiet courage that shaped the way he lived every single day.

“In 2019, our lives changed forever.

“The world lost a hero, but I lost the person I was meant to grow old with.”

Andrew Harper’s widow Lissie Harper lays a wreath at a memorial stone in Reading, dedicated to the memory of Police Constable Andrew Harper of Thames Valley Police. The officer was just 28 years old when he was killed in 2019 while responding to an (Image: Andrew Matthews)

She added: “I hope that those who walk these streets will take a moment to pause, to pay their respects, and to know that he made our world a safer place.”

The stone, which is the trust’s 61st memorial, is a 4ft tribute opposite Reading Crown Court, carved mainly in Portland Stone accompanied by gold lettering.

His family’s unwavering campaign following his death led to the introduction of ‘Harper’s Law’, which led to mandatory life sentences for people who kill emergency workers while on duty.

At midday on April 23, police officers, campaigners and those who knew PC Harper stood in a line at Forbury Gardens, before laying floral wreaths and pausing to remember him in front of the plaque, unveiled by Lissie Harper and Mrs Michael Winner.

Chief Constable Jason Hogg told The Chronicle PC Harper was an ‘inspiration’.

He said: “Andrew just got married. He had his life ahead of him.

“He was incredibly enthusiastic, hard working, committed officer and he loved his job.

“His legacy is an inspiration to officers joining his sense of courage and commitment to the public service but also, he is a reminder of the danger police officers put themselves in.

“Every single day, when they’re responding to routine incidents, this acts as a sober reminder for us all of the difficult and challenging job policing is and the sacrifices people make.

“We’re celebrating Andrew’s life and his service but we are also reflecting on the important role police officers face and the danger that they put themselves in, potentially every day.”

PC Andrew Harper (Image: Oxford Mail)

Mrs Michael Winner who chairs the Police Memorial Trust, said Reading ‘must not forget’ what PC Harper did for the public.

She said: “I hope his presence will be with us today.

“[When he died], it was just dreadful. My husband started the memorial trust and when he died, I carried it on.

“We had to form a special group of people to do everything and get permission and we managed to carry it on.

“When I met Mrs Harper, I just cried because it was so dreadful. She was so brave and she managed to get that law passed,

“[The teenagers involved] drove for miles, with him dragging along behind.

“We need this so people won’t ever forget PC Harper. He was courageous and wonderful.”

PC Harper was responding to a report of a burglary and the theft of a quad bike on August15, 2019.

As he tried to stop the group, he became caught in a tow rope and was dragged for a mile along a country lane – he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Henry Long, 19, was in the driving seat with passengers’ 17-year-olds Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole.