More rain forecast for flood hit Cumbria

Nov 22 2009 Sunday Sun

Death probe at early stage

THE Chief Constable of Cumbria Police, Craig Mackey, has said the investigation into the death of PC Barker was still at a “very early stage”.

He said: “Clearly we are looking at the incident and I wouldn’t what to speculate on exactly what happened.”

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

The police officer disappeared into the swollen waters of the River Derwent at about 4.40am yesterday and his body was found seven hours later on a nearby beach.

The officer, from Egremont, served with Cumbria Police for 25 years and leaves a wife, Hazel, and four children.

She said her husband was her “forever friend” and “an amazing dad”, adding: “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.”

Meanwhile, a suggestion to rename the bridge which collapsed Barker Bridge in honour of the officer was gaining support on a Cumbrian floods page on the social networking site Facebook, where hundreds of people left messages in tribute.

Elsewhere on the website, a tribute page to PC Barker had attracted more than 14,000 people, many of whom had left heartfelt messages to his loved ones.

Chief Constable Craig Mackey wrote on the site: “Thank you to everyone that has paid tribute to our friend and colleague PC Bill Barker.

“There has been an overwhelming response to this page, with over 10,000 people pledging their support to his family and colleagues. The messages show the impact Bill has made on everyone.”

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