Ten people were arrested in a murder investigation today after a police officer was killed while responding to reports of a burglary.
PC Andrew Harper was allegedly struck by a car in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, and dragged under the vehicle for some distance, before then being hit by another car.
Ten males aged 13 to 30 were arrested on suspicion of murder and are being held in police custody at police stations across the Thames Valley region.
The incident at about 11.30pm yesterday happened just three miles from the home of Carole and Michael Middleton, the mother and father of the Duchess of Cambridge.
It followed a 24-hour crime wave of a teenager stabbed to death in South London, a man attacked outside the Home Office and a father fatally assaulted in Newcastle.
Police launched a murder probe after the incident in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, pictured today
Forensic investigators at the scene this morning after an officer was allegedly struck by a car
The incident happened at the crossroads of Ufton Lane and Lambdens Hill, near Sulhamstead
Just last week a police officer was stabbed by a man armed with a machete in Leyton, East London. The officer only escaped with his life after firing his Taser.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted this morning: ‘I am deeply shocked and appalled by the death of a brave officer on duty in Thames Valley last night.
‘My thoughts are with PC Harper’s family, friends and colleagues at this terrible time. It is the most powerful reminder that police officers up and down the country put themselves at risk every single day to keep us safe. They have my absolute support.’
PC Harper from the Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Proactive Unit was based at Abingdon Police Station in Oxfordshire.
The police officer who died was from the Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Proactive Unit
The incident happened near the A4 Bath Road between Reading and Newbury at the crossroads of Ufton Lane and Lambdens Hill.
Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted: ‘My thoughts are with the family of PC Andrew Harper who was killed in the line of duty last night.’
Labour MP and shadow policing and crime minister Louise Haigh tweeted: ‘Absolutely horrific news, my thoughts are with PC Andrew Harper’s loved ones and the whole police family at this terrible time.
Ten men aged 13 to 30 were arrested on suspicion of murder after the incident in Sulhamstead
‘(Although) it won’t bring him back, I hope the culprit is swiftly brought to justice.’
Deputy Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: ‘Our deepest thoughts at this time are of course with Andrew’s friends and family, who are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
‘Our thoughts also extend to all of Andrew’s colleagues within Thames Valley Police. As a force we are devastated at the loss of our colleague and will all be supporting each other at this difficult time.’
Andy Fiddler, from Thames Valley Police Federation, said: ‘This is totally devastating news.
‘All our thoughts – and the thoughts of the entire police family across the UK – are with the family, friends and close colleagues of PC Andrew Harper who died last night.
‘Police officers go to work each and every day to do their duty. We are courageous, caring and compassionate. We confront danger on a daily basis. We know there is a risk when we put on the uniform but we do so as we are proud to protect the public.
‘Sadly on very rare and horrendous occasions a colleague makes the ultimate sacrifice. We will ensure that heroism is never forgotten.’
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Blaik, of the Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit, said: ‘This is a tragic incident, and I would like to reassure the public as well as our officers and staff that we have launched a full and thorough investigation to establish what has happened.
‘We have made a total of ten arrests in connection with this incident, and those arrested are currently in police custody. Those arrested are all male and aged between 13 and 30.
‘I would appeal to anyone who witnessed this incident to get in touch.’
It comes just a day after figures from the Government revealed the number of Thames Valley officers being assaulted had risen by 33 per cent in the past year.
Britain’s officers were attacked 1,057 times in 2018 to 2019, with 198 in the Thames Valley region injured in that period, making it the sixth worst of 40 UK forces.
Thames Valley Police have asked anyone with any information about the investigation to leave their details on its website or call 101.
** Were you there or do you know PC Harper? Email mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk or call 020 3615 1838 **
Britain’s bravest bobby: Family’s pride in stabbed PC who was knifed with a foot-long blade in London
PC Stuart Outten attacked with a machete in East London last week after stopping a van driver suspected of traffic offences
The family of the heroic policeman who survived a savage machete onslaught said they are ‘incredibly proud’ of the bravery he showed.
PC Stuart Outten was knifed with a foot-long blade last week after pulling over a van driver suspected of having no insurance.
The 28-year-old’s family said his injuries could have been fatal after he suffered four deep cuts to his head and neck.
Despite bleeding profusely, the officer managed to incapacitate his attacker with a Taser stun gun and then call for an ambulance on his radio.
Mobile phone footage has emerged which shows him bent over in the road while a passer-by tells him he is bleeding, to which PC Outten sighed and replied: ‘Oh, yeah.’
His heroism led many to brand PC Outten as ‘the hardest bobby in Britain’.
He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition following the attack in Leyton, East London, shortly after midnight on Thursday morning of last week.
Astonishingly, he was discharged from hospital at about 2pm the next day – just 38 hours after the attack. Wounds on his left cheek, both temples and on the back of his head were stitched up.
He underwent surgery to re-attach tendons in his thumb, which was almost chopped off during the attack.
The man accused of attacking PC Outten appeared in court last week charged with attempted murder. Muhammad Rodwan, from Luton, is also charged with possession of an offensive weapon.
Deputy District Judge Adrian Turner remanded Rodwan in custody at Thames Magistrates’ Court until his next appearance at the Old Bailey on September 6.
Bloody day of crime in Lawless Britain: Teen, 18, is stabbed to death in south London hours after lawyer is fatally attacked with screwdriver in 24 hours of mayhem
Britain has suffered a bloody 24-hour crime wave which saw a teenager stabbed to death and a father fatally attacked with a screwdriver.
London witnessed its second murder in less than two days when a 18-year-old man was attacked in Brixton at around 2pm yesterday.
Shocked witnesses told how they saw the mother of the victim turn up at the scene and was screaming: ‘My son, my son’ over and over again.
It came less than 24 hours after lawyer and ‘devoted’ father Peter Duncan, 52, died from a single stab wound to the chest after he was assaulted with a screwdriver outside a Greggs bakery in Newcastle.
BRIXTON: Police and forensics officers on the scene on Corrance Road in the south London neighbourhood, where an 18-year-old man was stabbed to death
NEWCASTLE: Police officers search a bin near to Old Eldon Square, where a father was fatally stabbed last night
Police arrested a 17-year-old man yesterday afternoon on suspicion of murder over the Brixton stabbing after he was picked up in nearby Clapham.
The victim was the 16 teenager to be murdered in London this year, and his death became the 91st murder probe opened by the Metropolitan Police.
Peter Duncan, 52, pictured, was stabbed to death last night in Newcastle. Seven teenagers have been arrested in connection with his murder
An eyewitness told how he saw the boy’s mother turn up at the scene as he was receiving treatment.
The bystander told The Sun: ‘She was rushed by police through the cordon to be with him and then collapsed screaming ‘my boy, my boy, my son, my son,’ over and over again.
‘Her screams and wails echoed down the street. People were crying.’
Meanwhile, the family of Newcastle stabbing victim Peter Duncan called him a ‘kind and caring man’ in their first statement released since his death on Wednesday night.
Mr Duncan was attacked outside a Greggs near Old Eldon Square when it was still busy with shoppers. He died later at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
His family said: ‘[Peter] was a devoted father, husband, son, brother, uncle and friend and loved by all who knew him. His death will leave such a huge hole in our lives and he’ll be deeply missed by us all.
‘Words can’t quite describe what life will be like without him. He had so much of his life left to live and he’ll be in our hearts and thoughts every day.’
Residents gathered at the scene in Brixton after a teenager was knifed to death today
Police search an area near Old Eldon Square in Newcastle to look for evidence relating to Mr Duncan’s murder
Mr Duncan was a lawyer and had worked as legal counsel for companies within the offshore industry.
He was most recently employed by Royal IHC Limited based on Grey Street in Newcastle, just a short distance away from where he was murdered.
Prior to that he had worked for almost eight years at DeepOcean UK after studying Law at Northumbria University.
Seven teenagers have been arrested in connection with his murder.
A Home Office contractor is led away after being stabbed by a man outside the department’s central London HQ in another violent incident during the last 24 hours
The Home Office attacker’s belongings included a knife in a sheath, mobile phone, and grey backpack and a ferret in a white and green box. The white head of the ferret can be seen poking out of the holding box
Yesterday saw another violent incident when a man in his 60s was stabbed in the head outside the Home Office in London by a pony-tailed man dressed in black, who carried with him teargas and a ferret.
The assailant is said to have approached the stab victim, who works for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), outside Home Secretary Priti Patel’s Westminster HQ.
He is thought to have asked the contractor if he was a government employee before attacking him – prompting armed officers to lock down the area.
The Met said the incident is ‘not being treated as terrorism-related’, but said officers are ‘still keeping an open mind with regards any possible motive’.