FALLEN police officers who served in the First World War have been honoured in a poignant remembrance ceremony in Europe.

Officers from Durham Constabulary travelled to Ypres, in Belgium, to take part in The Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate last night.

Chief Inspector Catherine Clarke, Inspector Ed Turner, PC Glen Henderson and retired PC Dave Cuthbertson paraded the force standard during the event and laid a wreath to remember those police officers who lost their lives during the war.

The Last Post ceremony has taken place every evening since November 1929. From 7.30pm, the roads surrounding the Menin Gate come to standstill and the area falls silent as people gather to pay their respects to those who fell during battle.

At 8pm, the Last Post sounds before a minute’s silence is held, with wreaths laid afterwards.

Over three days, they will also visit the graves of 20 former Durham Constabulary officers who are buried or remembered in memorials in the Ypres, Somme and Arras sectors, where individual tributes will be left to each of the officers.

The trip has been based on extensive research into fallen Durham Constabulary officers carried out by former police officer John Grainger.

Chief Inspector Clarke said: “As this year marks the centenary of the end of the First World War, we wanted to pay tribute to those who made an extraordinary sacrifice.

“This trip started as an idea following the Remembrance Festival and Parade that we were privileged to take part in last year, and as it developed we became aware of some research completed by a retired Durham Constabulary officer about former officers from the force who had gone to fight in the Great War.

“In addition to laying a wreath on behalf of the constabulary in the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, this research has enabled us to plan our battlefields tour to take an individually named tribute to as many of our former colleagues as possible who were laid to rest or commemorated in the cemeteries and memorials of the area.

“In the 100th anniversary year of the end of the Great War we feel a huge sense of pride and gratitude to our former colleagues who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Orford said: “It is extremely important that we remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for our freedom. The Last Post ceremony is a very poignant and emotive event."