`No safe day` for police after officer killed

The death of a police constable in Merseyside has served as a reminder that there is “no such thing as a safe day if you are a police officer”, the Prime Minister has said.

PC David Phillips, 34, was killed in the early hours of October 5 after a car escaping from a burglary struck him when it mounted the pavement.

Two men, aged 18 and 30 years from the Oxton and Wallasey areas of Wirral, were arrested on Tuesday October 6 on suspicion of murder.

Two women aged 19 and 34, both from Wallasey, were arrested on later the same day on suspicion of assisting an offender.

A man and a women aged 39 and 59, also both from Wallasey,were arrested on Wednesday October 7 on suspicion of assisting an offender – taking the total number of people detained to six.

PC Phillips had been deployed following a burglary at an estate agent in Birkenhead.

During the burglary, offenders stole a red Mitsubishi pick-up truck, which was spotted by officers patrolling the area at around 1:30 am.

Officers then pursued the vehicle, which mounted the central reservation along Wallasey Dock North Road where two officers were standing after deploying a stop stick.

The Mitsubishi struck PC Phillips and was then driven off at speed. It was later found abandoned in Corbyn Street, Wallasey.

CPR was carried out at the scene and he was taken to Arrowe Park Hospital, but pronounced dead a short while later.

A Home Office Post-Mortem examination has confirmed PC Phillips died from internal injuries sustained as a result of impact.

A neighbourhood patrol officer who was married with two daughters aged seven and three, PC Phillips joined Merseyside Police in 2006, and always worked in the Wirral area of Liverpool.

David Cameron said: “It is an absolutely tragic and awful case and one’s thoughts go out to David Phillips’ family and friends. It is a reminder that every day people in our police service get up, put on their uniforms and take risk on our behalf.

“There is no such thing as a safe day if you are a police officer. We must get to the bottom of how this happened, get the perpetrator and ensure justice is done.”

Merseyside police and crime commissioner Jane Kennedy said it was a “deeply sad” day for everyone at Merseyside Police and a day of mourning for the entire police family.

“I know I will speak for people across Merseyside when I say my thoughts and deepest sympathies are with PC Phillips’s family, friends and colleagues during this terrible time. Our hearts go out to them,” she said.

“Police officers are on the frontline every single day protecting our communities. It is a dark day when we lose one of our own and a painful reminder of the risks that our officers face to keep us all safe.”

Merseyside Police confirmed it has launched a murder investigation into the incident and detectives are examining CCTV footage in a bid to identify the offenders.

Chief Constable Sir Jon Murphy said: “David is the first Merseyside police officer to be killed on duty as a result of a criminal act since Raymond Davenport in 1981. He too was killed by a stolen car in Liverpool city centre.

“His death serves as a reminder of the risks that the men and women of this police and the other police forces in the UK face in serving the public every day.”

Home Secretary Theresa May said PC Phillips’ death serves as a reminder of the dangers officers face, day in, day out.

“I know that officers across the country have been deeply saddened by the news – and humbled by the bravery officers such as PC Phillips show. We owe them all our gratitude,” she said.

Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales Steve White said: “We are thinking of the family, friends and colleagues of PC Dave Phillips in Merseyside. It’s incredibly sad news and highlights the very real risks our officers face simply doing their job every day.”

Merseyside Police Federation has set up a memorial fund for PC Phillips.

Federation chairman Peter Singleton said: “We are all devastated by the loss of one of our members. The ent