Honour hero cops injured in the line of duty’

Mum of officer dragged to death by getaway car backs gallantry medal

- By Adam Toms

THE mum of a policeman killed after being dragged behind a car wants gallantry medals given to “forgotten” officers wounded doing their job.

PC Andrew Harper, 28, died six years ago today when his ankles became caught in a strap attached to a getaway car.

Andrew, responding with a colleague to reports of a break-in, died of catastrophic injuries after being dragged along Berkshire country lanes.

Driver Henry Long, 19, and passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, were cleared of murder following a four-week trial. Long admitted manslaughter and was jailed for 16 years. Cole and Bowers were each convicted and given 13 years.

Trauma

Andrew’s mum Deborah Adlam is backing a campaign led by ex-Sussex policeman Tom Curry, 75, to award medals to brave officers forced to retire after suffering injury or trauma in the line of duty.

The dead policeman’s next of kin received an Elizabeth Emblem, introduced last year. But the accolade is given only after an officer’s death.