Met Police officer ‘Big Andy’ who built up 70,000 Instagram fans through his comic videos tackling gang crime dies of blood clot aged 37 – leaving heartbroken wife and three children
- Met Police officer Andy Taylor, known as Big Andy, has tragically died at age 37
- A blood clot formed in his brain stem after he suffered a stroke, tests revealed
- Andy, of Oxfordshire, rose to fame after making funny clips fighting gang crime
- He approached gangs with a unicorn t-shirt and steered teens away from knife crime
A Met police officer who amassed 70,000 followers on Instagram with his humorous videos tackling gang crime has tragically died at age 37.
Andy Taylor, known as Big Andy, became an online sensation after he was filmed approaching gangs with a pink unicorn t-shirt and steering teenagers away from knife crime.
The officer, from Brackley, Oxfordshire, who was credited with changing attitudes to the police on social media, passed away on January 29.
Met PC Andy Taylor (pictured right with rugby player Chris Robshaw), known as Big Andy, died at 37 on January 29
A blood clot formed in his brain stem after he suffered a stroke, tests revealed.
The father-of-three left behind his wife of 11 years Holly Taylor, 35 and three children Aurora, six, Aurelia, four, and two-year-old Xander.
Thousands of young people paid tribute to ‘Big Andy’ on social media who was dubbed by his fans as the UK’s most popular police officer.
Tragic: The father-of-three has left behind his wife of eleven years Holly Taylor, 35 and three children Aurora, six, Aurelia, four, and two-year-old Xander (pictured)
The officer (pictured) became an online sensation after he filmed videos approaching gangs with a pink unicorn emblazoned t-shirt and steering teens away from knife crime
Jvmi wrote: ‘RIP to one of the coolest cops in the force.’
Imran Hussain Amir said Andy ‘restored [his] faith in the police and was a ‘great human’.
Cpkilmartin added ‘RIP My unicorn hero’ while another admitted he was the ‘only fed man I actually liked’.
He was a ‘massive presence’ and his biggest asset was communication, according to his wife Mrs Taylor, 35. She is pictured holding up a black-and-white portrait of Andy with her son Xander
Another individual wrote ‘RIP to the only cop that was actually respected on the gram’ – whilst a user called Bjjr.x13 sadly remarked ‘this was the only fed that I wanted to stay’.
In his videos, Andy would use humour to persuade young people against knife and gang crime – wearing his trademark unicorn t-shirt and his comic catchphrase ‘go clean your room!’
The officer, known as Big Andy, is pictured with his wife on their wedding day. They have been married for 11 years
Mrs Taylor, who is also a Met Police Officer, described her husband as a ‘massive presence’.
She said: ‘Communication was his biggest asset. Andy prided himself on his belief that communication was all about respect and all about talking to people and understanding what they’re going through.
‘He believed that just because someone was doing something bad that doesn’t make them bad.’
A Just Giving campaign made by fans has reached almost £17,000 after it was set up to benefit Andy’s family here.
