National Police Memorial, The Mall, London 2018. 

Attribution: Irid Escent [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Northumbria NARPO relies entirely on information provided to us to compile the obituaries. 

They are provided for the benefit of friends and colleagues and are not intended to replace full obituaries published elsewhere.

The obituaries appearing below will be published in the Winter 2024 edition of the Northumbria Bobby

David Gray

David died on the 12th May, 2024, age not disclosed. He was an ex-Newcastle City officer who retired in 1989 as a constable

John Sim

John died on the 24th May, 2024 aged 80 years. He leaves a widow, Gillian. John's funeral will be held at 11am on Wednesday, 12th June, 2024 at the West Road Crematorium, Newcastle on Tyne. An ex-Newcastle City officer, John joined the police service in 1964. In 1969 he was posted to Traffic North and spent much of the remainder of his career invoved in motor patrol duties, later, becoming a driving instructor with the Advanced Driver Traing Wing of the Force Driving School.

Terrence Vissenga

Terry died on the 20th May, 2024. No other information has been disclosed.

John Stephenson

John died on the 5th January, 2024 aged 91 years having retired from the police service in 1987

John William Wilfred Scott

John died on the 11th April, 2024 aged 73 years, having retired from the police service in 1983. John spent quite a bit of his service involved in investigative duties with Crime Team North, RCS, Intelligence Unit and as an instructor with the Surveilllance Training Unit with Training Department.

George Heron

George died on the 11th June, 2024. He was a member of the Sunderland NARPO Branch. Nothing further is known.

Lesley Thompson (nee Scott)

Lesley died on the 20th June, 2024, aged 65 years. Her funeral will take place at 11.30am on Tuesday, 16th July, 2024 at St John Boste RC Church, Washington followed at 1pm by interment at Washington Cemetery. A member of Northumbria Police Cadets between 1975 and 1977, Lesley was based at Aykley Heads, Durham, and the Kylins, Morpeth.. After being attested as a constable in 1977 and following initial training, Lesley was posted to South Shields, her home town. In 1979, she transferred to the Wheatsheat, Sunderland, where she was stationed until 1983 when she left on the birth of the family's first child. Later, she returned to work, part time, as a call taker at SAOR, then, as a store detective at Makro, and, later, for HMRC. For the last 10 years, Lesley, with fortitude,  had bravely battled serious ilness and the side effects of her treatment .