Elizabeth Emblem to honour UK public workers who die in line of duty

An award for public servants killed in the line of duty has been announced by the UK government.

The Elizabeth Emblem will be awarded as recognition to the next of kin of “those who lost their lives in the course of undertaking eligible public service”, the government said on Saturday. It is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK armed forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack.

The award comes after a three-year campaign by Bryn Hughes and Paul Bone, whose daughters PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone were murdered by Dale Cregan in Greater Manchester in 2012.

“I’m very pleased for all the police that have lost their lives in service that they’re now getting recognition by the state and for all the families involved it will be a privilege to get them,” Bone, 75, told the PA news agency. “It’s for the community who have given their families to service for the community.”

Families can apply for the emblem on gov.uk. All nominations will be reviewed by the George Cross Committee before recommendations are made to the king through the prime minister.

“We will not forget those who died in our service,” the deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, said. “The Elizabeth Emblem will bring the nation together to honour the dedication and commitment of these exceptional public servants who have given their lives in service of the United Kingdom.”

The policing minister, Chris Philp, said the emblem would “rightly enshrine” those who lost their lives in service “in our country’s history so that their sacrifices are never forgotten”.

“We owe so much to our public servants who make sacrifices every day to keep us safe,” Philp said.

The emblem will include a rosemary wreath, a traditional symbol of remembrance, surrounding a Tudor Crown and the inscription “For A Life Given In Service”.

“I think just by having it, just by knowing it’s there, that means a great deal,” Hughes said.

PCs Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, died in a gun and grenade attack while responding to a 999 call in Hattersley.

“I think that lasting legacy for what happened to them that day will always be in people’s minds but I think now this emblem is in place it will be even better,” Hughes said.