THE death of PC David Rathband is truly tragic.

When he was shot in the face by Raoul Moat in July 2010, he lost more than his sight. He lost his job, his way of life, his marriage and the future he had imagined for himself, and he lost the person he had once been.

Our condolences go to his children, his wife, his twin brother and the rest of his family. They must be feeling his loss, and the manner of it, terribly.

Moat, who also took his own life, made choices as he embarked on his selfish and destructive path. By contrast, PC Rathband was a public servant, doing his job, protecting the public. He was an innocent victim.

And then, with the foundation of his charity, he tried to turn his predicament into a way of helping others. By any measure, his is an extraordinary story.

Questions are being asked about Northumbria Police’s support and for PC Rathband. Undoubtedly, they could have done more – you can always do more in sad situations – but there are not many organisations which, concerned about an employee, would have met him at Heathrow airport and then taken him home to Blyth. As part of their package, the police were also trying to get him back to work in April, which would have offered him some kind of a future.

It goes without saying that really the guilty party is Moat, and those who assisted him. Moat may have had his own mental issues to deal with, but those who have attempted to lionise him since his death must see how misguided they have been.