Memorial to murdered Pc at site of attack on Parliament
PC KEITH PALMER, the officer killed in the line of duty during last year’s Westminster attack, is to be honoured with a public memorial outside the gates of Parliament, to be unveiled before the end of the year.
Pc Palmer, 48, was stabbed to death on March 22 last year after he confronted Khalid Masood, 52, who had driven a car through crowds on Westminster Bridge.
The unarmed officer died of stab wounds just inside Carriage Gates on Parliament Square, despite the efforts of paramedics to save his life.
Awarded the George Medal posthumously for his outstanding bravery, Pc Palmer is to be remembered by a specially commissioned memorial stone to be placed outside the gates, where the public will be able to see it.
The memorial is to be funded by the Police Memorial Trust, established in 1984 by Michael Winner, the late film director, to honour the service and sacrifice of fallen officers.
Geraldine Winner, Michael Winner’s widow and chairman of the Police Memorial Trust, said: “I am so very pleased to confirm that this fitting and lasting tribute to Pc Palmer will be placed at this iconic site. We know it will bring some small comfort to his family and loved ones.”
Shortly after the murder of Pc Palmer, the Police Memorial Trust engaged in a long consultation process in order to obtain the special permissions necessary to place a memorial in honour of the officer’s sacrifice at Parliament, a world heritage site.
The Trust noted the “invaluable” help of Parliament, Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police in the process.
Cressida Dick, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said: “I am delighted that the Police Memorial Trust have confirmed that the memorial stone will be in place before the end of the year.”
The siting of the memorial was agreed with John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Lord Fowler, Lord Speaker, who said: “Parliament is proud to support the Police Memorial Trust in placing this memorial to Pc Palmer at Carriage Gates. This memorial will serve as a lasting tribute to his dedication and his courage.”