His colleagues and friends today paid tribute to a man described as “a dedicated and well respected officer”

A police investigation into Constable Turner’s death is continuing and an inquest will be held.

He fell from the top of the Cherry Pink car park in Telford Town Centre shortly after 9am yesterday.

Constable Turner, who lived in Newport, suffered multiple injuries in the fall. He died at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital at 2pm yesterday.

Shrewsbury-born Constable Turner joined the police service in 1988 and worked in Redditch until May 1990 before transferring to Wellington, Whitchurch and back to Wellington in February 1995.

He then used his wealth of experience as a beat bobby to become divisional trainer for Telford in May 1995.

Constable Turner helped train a large number of probationers during his years at Malinsgate Police Station.

In November last year he was seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where he helped train police officers overseas in Iraq.

He returned to Shropshire in June when he joined the training and development department as a trainer in the Professional Development Unit, based at Wellington.

Telford & Wrekin Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent David Spencer, said Constable Turner’s death had touched many colleagues and he would be deeply missed by many.

He said: “Pete was a very effective and well respected police officer, who took his job very seriously and was very meticulous in what he did.

“He was dedicated to his work, and the standards to which he trained officers will live on for a number of years.

“The legacy he leaves will be that the people of Telford & Wrekin will receive a better policing service, as a result of the training his recruits received.

“His loss has been a big shock to all of his colleagues and he will be sadly missed.”

By Peter Johnson

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