Heartfelt tributes have been paid to Police Constable Keith Palmer, the 48-year-old husband and father who died after being stabbed multiple times outside the Palace of Westminster on 22 March.
There has been a huge outpouring of public support for PC Palmer, with a Metropolitan Police Federation campaign to raise £100,000 for his family having already passed the halfway mark.
Conservative MP James Cleverly, who served alongside PC Palmer in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, paid an emotional tribute to him in the House of Commons.
“He was a strong, professional public servant, and it was a delight to meet him here again only a few months after being elected,” he said, asking if the Prime Minister would “consider recognising his gallantry and sacrifice formally, with a posthumous recognition”.
The Prime Minister described PC Palmer as a man who had “devoted his life to the service of his country”, with 15 years of service on the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
“He was a husband and a father, killed doing the job he loved,” she said. “He was every inch a hero, and his actions will never be forgotten.”
PC Palmer, whose name will be added to the Police Roll of Honour, was described as “a wonderful man” by close colleagues, including a woman named Nina who called LBC Radio to say that he had previously saved her life following a car crash.
“He actually did save my life in a car accident on duty when I was a police officer in 2007. I was the passenger and he was one of the police officers who actually helped save my life. So I owe him everything,” she said.
“He was a wonderful dad and a wonderful husband to his wife. He was fun, he was a laugh, he cared. I know everyone, when someone passes … always say he was such a lovely person, but he actually really was.
“And he cared about what he was doing, he actually cared about his job.”
The Place of Westminster and New Scotland Yard led a countrywide minute of silence for the victims of the attack, which has been claimed by Islamic State, at 9.33 a.m. – a time chosen in honour of PC Palmer’s shoulder number: 933.