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Nicola Hughes funeral
Police in Manchester before the funeral of Nicola Hughes. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Police in Manchester before the funeral of Nicola Hughes. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Police shootings: colleagues gather for Nicola Hughes funeral

This article is more than 11 years old
Thousands line streets of Manchester for funeral of one of the two officers who died during routine callout last month

Thousands of police officers have lined the streets of Manchester before the funeral of PC Nicola Hughes, who died during a routine callout in Tameside last month.

The service will be led by the Greater Manchester police chaplain, Charles Nevin. Officers formed a sombre black line along Deansgate leading to Manchester Cathedral, while the force helicopter hovered overhead.

Hundreds of members of the public joined the officers on the city's main thoroughfare. A number of mounted officers in full formal dress waited outside the cathedral entrance and a group of 10 passed along the road as guests arrived for the service.

Entry was by invitation only for friends, family and colleagues of the fallen officer. Every police force was invited to send their chief constable or a senior officer. A big screen will broadcast the service for people outside in Cathedral Gardens, close to the city centre.

Hughes, 23, died on 18 September with her colleague PC Fiona Bone after they were called to investigate a burglary in Mottram. The Greater Manchester chief constable, Sir Peter Fahy, described the officers as exemplifying the "best in British policing".

Two officers from each of the 53 UK forces have been formally invited to cover shifts so that Greater Manchester police staff can attend the funerals. Bone's funeral will take place at the cathedral on Thursday morning.

Dale Cregan, 29, has been charged with the murders of the two officers and those of Mark Short, 23, in May and Short's father, David, 46, in August.

Hughes joined the force three years ago, and her mother said she had died doing a job she loved. Colleagues described Hughes as a chatterbox who was always smiling, even after a night shift when everyone else was grumpy. She was a good listener who was "a lovely friend and a great bobby".

A campaign on Twitter led to 2,300 officers from around the UK volunteering to come to Manchester on the day of the funerals to cover for their colleagues. Ian Hanson, of the Police Federation, urged everyone to come to Manchester city centre over the next few days to show their support.

A number of forces are observing a 24-hour Twitter silence from midday on Wednesday out of respect. Wristbands have been produced by the Police Federation with the officers' collar numbers and the date they died. The bands are on sale for £1 with all proceeds being donated to the families.

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