HC Deb 13 March 1975 vol 888 cc196-7W
Mr. Burden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been killed as a result of criminal action since the abolition of the death penalty in 1965 ; and how many lost their lives by criminal action in the nine previous years.

Mr. Roy Jenkins:

The number of police officers in England and Wales who, in the years 1957 to 1974, were victims while on duty, of offences currently classified as murder, is shown in the following table:

1957 NIL
1958 1
1959 1
1960 1
1961 2
1962 NIL
1963 NIL
1964 NIL
1965 2
1966 4
1967 NIL
1968 NIL
1969 NIL
1970 1
1971 2
1972 1
1973 1
1974 1

In addition, two police officers—one in 1958 and one in 1969—were killed by persons subsequently convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.