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Queen sends her condolences to Fiona Bone’s family
Photo of murdered police officer Fiona Bone (right) and her partner Clare Curran.
THE Queen has expressed her sadness at the deaths of murdered police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes.
Former Castle Rushen High School pupil Fiona, aged 32, and her colleague were gunned down in an ambush in Hattersley, Tameside, in what has been described by Greater Manchester Constabulary’s Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy as ‘one of the darkest days’ in British policing.
More than 25,000 messages of condolence have been left on the force website by members of the public, 19,000 via Facebook and another 1,000 on Twitter.
In a statement, the Lord-Lieutenant’s office said: ‘In a letter to the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, Sir Peter Fahy, Her Majesty expressed her sincere condolences to the families of PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone at the tragic loss of their lives.’
Fiona was planning to marry her partner Clare Curran and, at the start of her final tragic shift, had been excitedly talking to colleagues about her forthcoming civil partnership.
In an interview with the Manx Independent, Fiona’s parents Paul and June, who live in Port St Mary, spoke of the moment they learned of their daughter’s murder.
Later, in a statement issued by Greater Manchester Police, Fiona’s family said: ‘Fiona enjoyed life to the full from her days with the Air Training Corps, rugby at university, to her service with the police. She was planning her marriage to Clare and this joy has been taken from us.
‘Our thoughts are with Nicola’s family along with Fiona and Nicola’s fellow officers at Tameside police station.’
Their tribute came after the pair’s colleagues held a minute’s silence to honour the PCs, who were killed after they went to investigate what appeared to be a routine burglary report.
The flag has been flying at half mast at Castle Rushen High School where Fiona studied for her A-levels in the sixth form after moving to the island from Derbyshire in 1997.
It has emerged that PC Bone may have tried to defend herself with a Taser which was found out of its holster at the crime scene.
Dale Cregan, aged 29, is being questioned over the officers’ deaths and the killings of father and son David and Mark Short. He handed himself into police after Tuesday’s murders.
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Weather for Isle of Man
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 33 mph
Wind direction: North west
