Robert Sutcliffe
EVEN for the most hardened of police officers it was too much to bear.
As Morley Street became of sea of floral tributes for WPC Sharon Beshenivsky, officer after officer broke down and wept. Others clung onto colleagues for support, still struggling to believe a fellow officer had lost her life simply doing her job.
Anyone of them could have replied to Friday's emergency call, anyone of them could have faced the same terror.
The bouquets began to arrive from the early hours of Saturday and continued throughout the weekend as workmen erected a huge screen to close off the murder scene, normally a bustling part of the city.
As well as police officers, people from all walks of life, of all backgrounds, felt compelled to pay their own respects to a woman who had joined the force to try to make a difference to people like them.
A huge six foot shrine decorated with white doves and flowers was left together with children's paintings – one simply saying 'I'm Sorry'. PC Simon Toon was one of the officers who could not hold back the tears as he was embraced by a female colleague and close friend of WPC Beshenivsky. In a bulletproof vest and fluorescent jacket, he had been drafted in to guard the murder scene but this was no day to stand on ceremony.
He said: "It hit me when I went home last night and saw my own little girl. It could have been me. It could have been any of us."
Shelley Harpley, 24, also broke down in tears as she and her three-year-old son Daniel placed their tribute.
"I was absolutely devastated when I saw the news on the TV. For someone to get killed in this terrible way is devastating and my heart goes out to the family, there are no words to describe it,'' she said.
Five officers from West Yorkshire Fire Service placed a floral tribute before observing a minute's silence in memory of the murdered PC. "It's affected all the services as well as the community of Bradford, it's deeply saddening when something like this occurs,'' said Brian Saville.
Rachel Priestley, 21, from Wyke and a senior colleague, Lynne Calvert, of Thomson travel agents in Market Street, Bradford, said the news had deeply shocked them. Mrs Calvert said: "We just felt shock and disbelief that a poor young officer was going about her job and never got home.''
Nadeem Malik, of Undercliffe, a father-of-three said he had felt compelled to go and pay his respects after his children saw the news.
As his three-year-old son Ali placed a bouquet on the pavement he said: "The kids had seen someone putting flowers down and they wanted to come down and do the same. It's very sad.''
Some said nothing – the message on their bouquets meant there was no need for words. "The whole of the nation weeps. We will never forget,'' wrote Andy Khan.
"I never knew you but to hear such bad news I was shocked to hear that we have lost such a young, good police officer. I hope that you have gone to a better place," wrote Mandip Singh.
West Yorkshire Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn also visited Morley Street to pay his own personal tribute to his young officer. He said he had been very touched by the outpouring of grief from the community.
He said: "It's very hearten-ing that the community responds in this way. You always hope but you never know until the actual event happens. The WPC was "a very proud mother, a very loving wife and just a really nice person, the sort of person who you would want to be friends with yourself."
But there was one man, 30-year-old Abdul Wahid from West Bowling, who above all summed up why PC Beshenivsky's death has touched so many. She was doing a great job for us."
robert.sutcliffe@ypn.co.uk