South Wales Police Federation is backing plans for a digital memorial website to complement the UK Police Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Chair Steve Treharne is supporting the website which would carry the names of former officers as well as tributes from loved ones, photographs, and news clippings.

He is also calling on colleagues to take part in an online consultation from the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust which will help shape the future of the project.

Steve explained: “The memorial in England attracts thousands of visitors, but it is not so easily accessible for those of us living in further away places like South Wales. So, the idea of a memorial archive online which records the names and lives of fallen colleagues is a fantastic idea and one that I am personally delighted to support.

“I know that the trust is keen to get feedback from police officers about their various ideas and have launched an online survey this week. It takes under 10 minutes to complete and is a way that you can support and enhance this great initiative. So I would urge colleagues to take part.”

As part of the digital memorial an ‘on this day’ tribute will highlight the names of officers who died on a particular day and you will be able to search for an officer by name, force, date of death and rank.

Martin Hewitt, the former chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council and now chair of Police Arboretum Memorial Trustees, said: “Working with our partner, the Police Roll of Honour Trust, the digital memorial will give visitors access to the records of almost 5,000 police officers who have dedicated their lives to policing, from as far back as the Bow Street Runners in 1749.

“We are at a crossroads as we embark on the next phase of this exciting project and our development of the digital memorial. Your views really do count as we create a fitting online tribute to our police service, and I would encourage everyone to complete the online survey.”

Take part in the survey.