The terrible price that police officers can pay was sadly brought to the attention of the public in July this year when PC Ian Dibell, 41, was shot dead in Clacton-on-Sea...

Police continue to hunt the victim's chief suspect. PC Dibell is thought to have been killed when he tried to intervene in a dispute. A second man was also wounded.

There are hundreds of relatives of police officers in the UK who have suffered the devastating loss of a loved one and the registered charity Care of Police Survivors (COPS) is an organisation active in providing support to them via peer networks...

The charity founded in March 2003 is dedicated to helping families of police officers who have lost their lives, to cope and rebuild...

The COPS network of survivors from around the UK offers assistance to others in a practical way...

As well as welcoming donations from the public the charity also holds fundraising events including the forthcoming COPS Firewalk Challenge on September 4, 2012...at the Scottish Police College, Tulliallan...

The next National Police Memorial Service is also being held on September 30, 2012 at York Minster...

HRH the Prince of Wales is patron of the annual remembrance day that remembers the thousands of police officers who have lost their lives whilst on duty in the UK...

The National Police Memorial Day is a registered charity that also raises funds to commemorate fallen police officers...

Also the Police Roll of Honour Trust, a registered charity that amongst its services maintains a Roll of Honour in remembrance of every police officer killed in the line of duty since the earliest days of professional policing.

Other notable police charities include the Blue Lamp Foundation, set up by heroic policeman PC David Rathband to help injured emergency service workers...